There Are Good Things Too

Although I write about the bizarre, weird and annoying, there really are good things that happen with my accidental business. The good experiences aren't always interesting and often it is too personal to write about. But, here are some examples of the good stuff.

1. I have met an incredible number of terrific people along the way. I have one former tenant who has been keeping in touch since he left my home more than two years earlier. He has been known to run odd jobs for me. And, sometimes he will just e-mail me to say hello. Sometimes he just sends me a note just to discuss baseball.

2. I have heard some pretty powerful personal success stories. Take Terry for example. She called me once to tell me she opened her first checking account. Everything up until that point in her 42 years had been paid by cash. And, it had never occurred to her to open a checking account until I had mentioned it a year earlier. The first person she called to tell about this milestone was me, her landlord. When Terry later bought her house from me she said, "I never thought I could own a home, now I know I can do anything."

3. I have learned a lot about human nature. Good and bad. I have had a crash course. I prefer the good, but the bad stories (and there are a few) help make me a better business woman, better landlord and overall better person. I am continuing to learn and grow from the lives of others. And, I certainly see things very differently than I did even a year earlier. My moral compass knows where to point.

4. I have learned the South doesn't deserve a good portion of their stereotypes. I have yet to meet an inbred, single-tooth yokel. What I have met are some fascinating folks, with fascinating lives. People in the South are proud, outspoken and (for the most part) know right from wrong. They are instinctive and will do business with a handshake if they believe in you. Growing up in the city, I find all of this is strange to me. But, I have been given many opportunities from those who have believed in me. And, hopefully I haven't let them down.

5. I have gotten uplifting encouragement from unusual places. I have had people offer to pray for me, I have been sent bible verses. I even had one tenant read my fortune with tarot cards! The kindness from the folks I have met is absolutely amazing. Last week, in the midst of some craziness. I heard from one of my tenants. She wrote me to say thank you and offered a few other personal words that just blew me away. What did I do? I answered an e-mail, giving her advice she sought out from me--a virtual stranger. I would have given this same advice to anyone else who had asked. But, she took the time to write and thank me.

I am floored by the genuine sincerity of the people I have met in the past few years--not just in Birmingham, but all over. I have been sent first communion invitations and baby pictures. My rewards may not be financial (at the moment). But I have been given some pretty wonderful gifts.