Ron Bridges: April 2009

Marian Wright Edelman was born in Bennettsville, SC in 1939.  She grew up in the pre-Civil Rights years and was active in the Civil Rights Movement.  She finished her education at Yale Law School and became an attorney for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.  She has been and is now a strong advocate for children and she founded the Children's Defense Fund.  Marian continues talking and working for the children today.

Marian wrote an open letter to her three grown children and included the 25 lessons of life to drive home what her and her husband had been teaching their children.

You ask how this applies to Real Estate.  The 25 lessons of life have as much meaning today for everyone that works in this business as it does for each and every person.  Applying her 25 lessons will not only build us as people but will build us as business people also.

Let's take a minute and read these lessons and see how we can apply them to our lives as business people and families. 

1.   There is no free lunch.  Don't feel entitled to anything you don't sweat and struggle for.
2.   Set goals and work quietly and systematically toward them.
3.   Assign yourself.
4.   Never work just for money or for power.  They won't save your soul or help you sleep at night.
5.   Don't be afraid of taking risks or of being criticized.
6.   Take parenting and family life seriously and insist that those you work for and who represent you do, too.
7.   Remember that your wife (husband) is not your mother (father) or your maid (servant), but your partner and friend.
8.   Forming families is serious business.
9.   Be honest.
10. Remember and help America remember that the fellowship of human beings is more important than the fellowship of race and class and gender in a democratic society.
11. Sell the shadow for substance.  Don't confuse style with meaning.
12.  Never give up.
13.  Be confident that you can make a difference.
14.  Don't ever stop learning and improving your mind.
15.  Don't be afraid of hard work or of teaching your children to work.
16.  Slow down and live.
17.  Choose your friends carefully.
18.  Be a can-do, will try person.
19.  Try to live in the present.
20.  Use your political and economic power for the community and for others less fortunate.
21.  Listen for "the sound of the genuine" within yourself and others.
22.  You are in charge of your own attitude.
23.  Remember your roots, your history, and the forebears' shoulders on which you stand.
24.  Be reliable.  Be faithful.  Finish what you start.
25.  Always remember that you are never alone.

May these simple lessons bring success and happiness to each and everyone of you.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has a program called the Weatherization Assistance Program that gives up to $6500 in rebates to lower income families to help them cut down their energy usage and save money in energy spending.  To qualify for the rebates, the average family of 4 must not make over $44,000 in the lower 48 states, $55,140 in Alaska, and $50,720 in Hawaii.

The DOE Weatherization Assistance Program web site says, " The weatherization funding will improve the energy efficiency of the homes of low-income families by adding more insulation, sealing leaks, or modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, at a cost of up to $6,500 per home."  The site goes on to say weatherization could help a family realize a savings of up to $350 a year in utility bills.

In our day to day dealings with the public, we each have an occasion to talk to lower income families and we could let them know of this program.  If we could help them save money on their utility bills then they would benefit and the earth would benefit as well.

The web site for the DOE Weatherization Assistance Program is:

http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/weatherization/news_detail.cfm/news_id=12346

I'm back.  Last week was a whirlwind marriages, baby sitting, work, and sickness.  I must be a multi-tasker because I was able to get through the week and get rested this past weekend. 

In prior post I spoke of some of the panic and getting ready for my daughter's wedding.  Well Saturday, a week ago, was a beautiful day for an outdoor wedding.  The wedding went off without a hitch and after a nice reception, they were off on their honeymoon and we were off with a 10 month old grandson.

For the next 4 days we took care of our grandson or he took care of us.  How old am I?  I must be 105 after getting woke up a couple of times a night, feedings, temper tantrums, crawling and getting into stuff, etc., etc., etc.  It's been awhile and I felt it by the time the happy couple came to get him on Wednesday. 

Then my son, wife, and I all got a cold and spent the next 2 days sniffing, sneezing, and coughing.  Wow, what a way to end the week. 

Easter Sunday was a beautiful day and we went for a great walk around Swan Lake.  We really enjoyed the trip.

So to wrap it up, the wedding of our daughter, keeping our grandson, colds, and finished by a fantastic Easter Sunday.  We had a great week!

Last week I posted a blog on the last minute panic before my daughter's wedding.  Well, maybe the panic was justified.  My son and I made the trip to Columbia for him to tie on his tux.  Boy, am I glad we did.  We took the tux out of the bag and the pants were hemmed about 7 inches too short.  Yes, you read that right, 7 inches.  How they got that measurement, I will never know.  The shirt did not even fit.  Well, we got another shirt and they had another pair of pants they could hem.  We had to leave and hopefully the tux would fit when he got to try it on Friday.  Whew, it fit perfectly, and the panic was over.  We enjoyed a fun rehearsal and then dinner.   

The weather on Saturday was beautiful with all sun, upper 70's and light winds.  Couldn't have asked for a better day for an outdoor wedding and everything fell into place.  Christy and her attendants were all beautiful and Darrell and his party were all decked out in their finest.  Soon the happy couple were wed and started their new life together.

All the panic, preparation and nerves led to a beautiful day for the families and full of memories for the newly married couple.

Can't detect the little bit of pride and relief, can you? ;-) 

This upcoming weekend my daughter will be getting married and we have entered the panic stage.  You know the stage.  If ANYTHING, no matter how small, is not just right, the world is ending and life CANNOT go on as we know it stage.  Remember, I am the dad and just along for the ride, right?  Wrong!

It started out with questions.  What do you think about this, or how can we do that.  As the day approaches the dad task have started picking up also.  Today it was, you need to drive to Columbia to have my brother try on his tux.  It can't wait because Friday will be too late.  If you don't get him here tomorrow, WE CAN'T GET IT FIXED IN TIME.  Then I made the big Dad BOO BOO!  I said, "Well it's not our fault the tux place was 4 days late getting the tux back." Thats when my daughter got her low voice and told me it needed to be done.  Dad's you know the voice, the low voice meaning if you don't do it, THE WORLD WILL END AND YOU WILL BE THE CAUSE, voice.  OK, I'll move heaven and earth and work that 21/2 hour trip into my schedule.  We'll get through this and everything will be fine.  If we survive the Panic Stage.