I have enjoyed today reading post here about fathers and sons both living and gone and of course today is a day where I miss my father the most although I think of him often. It has been a lot of years since we were together on this planet and as someone who chose not to be a father a lot of feelings race through my brain and my memory bank is flooded. There is one particular time that stands out for me today and it was when i started in real estate in October 1989.
I had just finally closed up my retail home electronics business that year after 16.5 years of doing that and enduring 7 of the darkest years of the Oklahoma economy from the bursting of the energy bubble in 1982. In June that year I had done everything to pay everyone back which i am proud of and had paid off the FDIC who tool over my failed bank. I was exhausted and in my 40's wondering what my next step was and then a friend encouraged me to start selling foreclosed real estate and what did I have to lose? This is where my Dad was Andrew Carnegie and Og Mandino rolled into one and made a huge difference in my life.
I was starting off from scratch and flat broke so a little encouragement was needed. My Dad was a great salesman and I like to think that that part of him is in my still and something to be proud of, after all we idolize these men and want to be like them. Before I ever sat on an open house or made a sale my Dad said this to me: Son, you and I are now partners and every time you make a sale and get a commission I want you to come to the house and let me know what it is so I can say, our business is doing great pardner! Way to go! I did that for my Dad's remaining 5 years of his life and we would celebrate by going to the Triple A baseball game and he would never let me by the hot dog and beer, that was my sales bonus.
Many years later I am still closing homes and a lot more of them than when I started. Having your Dad giving you what you can't pay a price for which is love and encouragement is something you never forget. if I am successful now my Dad has a lot to do with that and I never looked back after the first closing in January 1990. Even today I have carried on a tradition of letting my Dad know we made another sale and closing and our partnership is better than ever. I have to stop now because I can't quit crying, but to my dear departed Father I have to say Way to Go Pardner! I couldn't have done it without you.
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