A Deal Was Made . . .

. . . Just not with us. As is common in the Real Estate business, a deal was made on the side, in spite of the fact that we had an offer in the hands of the owner. I could go into the details of the Murray family getting the shaft, but it's complicated and not that interesting, really.

The shocking and interesting thing to me, is that by making an offer an a property, you are really putting your fate in the hands of others. This property was well suited to our needs and would have been a good investment. However, besides the obligation of a thirty year mortgage, we were committing a great deal of work. Deal sealed, I'd have been fully committed to two to four years of actual house building, on nights and weekends. Someone else, three someone elses actually, of questionable character, decided that I would not be doing that. Not yet anyway.

All of this is really shocking to me for some reason. Sure the spot wasn't perfect, we can pick that apart. Maybe we are heading for a double-dip recession. I could have gotten injured building the houses. Anything could have happened. But, none of it will now. The path of my family's life is headed in a completely different direction that is no longer inextricably tied to a home-site that I will create with my own hands.

Now, if you read this blog with any regularity. You've gotta be wondering, what the hell is wrong with me. I want to live on a boat, build a small one, build two houses, move to Duck, maybe move inland and farm etc etc. Imagine being my wife! The thing is, I do want to do all of those things. And, I believe I will. It's just so odd when the impetus to do any or all of these things is taken from me.

So, yeah, I'm pretty irritated. I'm angry, dissapointed etc. But I'm really just shocked. And I'm shocked because I've been reminded of the scarriest aspect of our existence. As we grow and gain skills and become more and more capable, we feel more and more autonomous. But it's really just a myth. Our lives are a combination of factors. Skill, knowledge, dedication, and energy are part of the equation. However, luck plays a frigheteningly important role. Maybe this experience has been a good reminder for me. A reminder of my values. If you really get to know people, you might have sense of their Skills, knowledge, dedication and energy. But, to understand the luck alloted to any given individual is much more difficult.

So, with a lot of hard work and dedication, I believe I will get to give each of my wildest dreams a shot. And if not,maybe there wasn't the correct amount of luck involved. That's comforting really. Because I don't have to wonder about my skill, knowledge, dedication, or energy level. Maybe this failed deal is the greatest thing that ever happened to me. Probably not.