26 Random Acts of Kindness

January 14, 2013

Today marks the one month anniversary of the tragic event of the Sandy Hook Elementary school massacre, December 14, 2012.  The tragedy was devastating to our country.  Whether you knew someone personally or not, it hit us all hard.  I have never cried so much for people I didn’t know than I did for those helpless victims.  No one can or will ever be able to make any sense out of what happened.

Just as religion and politics have always been the source of controversial and oftentimes, heated conversations, so has the protection of our communities as it relates to gun control. I don’t choose to start a heated discussion over gun control, because this was not merely an assault because there was a gun readily available.  Violence isn’t a one-step solution any more than it is a one-source problem.  There are mental health issues, parental responsibility/accountability issues, gun safety issues, and so on.  None of these are easy issues to address, nor are there any quick fixes. 

The issue of gun control?  I am going to leave that one alone.  I have my own opinion, and I choose to keep that to myself.

As far as the mental health component is concerned?  I can tell you a few things I learned after having worked in the mental health industry for many years:  MANY people do not get the mental health care they should either because they can’t or they won’t.  Many, who ARE diagnosed, refuse to take the medication to control the disease.  Many can’t AFFORD to take medication because they lack insurance.   

So what about parental responsibility and accountability?  I am STILL scratching my head, trying to figure out why the mother of the shooter kept weapons and ammunition in her home, knowing she had a family member with a diagnosed, documented mental disorder. 

I am not going to try to solve all the problems of the world.  I am going to stay in my own vicinity and do what I can in my own way, and that is to start with what I consider to be one of the roots of the problem:  Raising children that are kind and respectful of others.  I grew up in a medical family, and my college degree is in public and community health education.  I was raised and educated to believe largely in preventative measures to avoid potential issues and problems.  You can’t put a Band-Aid on a cancerous tumor and expect it to get well.  You are better off trying to prevent the disease with what we know to be cancer prevention behaviors like eating right, not smoking, etc. The problem with violence needs to be dealt with pro-actively by taking preventative measures. 

Now don’t get me wrong:  I am not saying this will totally solve the problem of violence in our society.  I am merely stating that it is my own personal way of contributing to the solution.  I am but one person, but I would rather not sit around and complain about who is not doing what, or who is to blame for everything that is wrong with the world.  I would rather use that energy doing something positive and constructive to add a bit of awesome to someone’s day---A bit of awesome that may impact them enough to keep in their memory bank for a lifetime, as was the case in several of the examples I gave that I personally experienced.

So 26 Random Acts of Kindness later, and I am hooked.  I had the most peaceful, relaxing and laid back Christmas I have had in a long time, and I attribute it to the fact that my focus was different this year.  I spent a lot of time thinking about what I could do to make someone’s day.  I had an eagle eye out to catch other’s “doing good” so I could share those examples.  I can’t walk past a grocery cart in the parking lot without taking it to the front of the store.  I can’t walk past a display of flowers without the urge to buy some for someone.  I can’t let one of my clients move in to their new home without taking them dinner on moving day.  I can’t see a homeless person without extending a helping hand.  My heart is in a different place.  I had a tough year this past year, and spent a lot of time concerned about myself and all the issues and problems I had to deal with and/or figure out.  What I now realize is how trivial those things are in comparison to the loss of so many beloved lives. 

After the murders in Newtown, I decided to dedicate 26 days of kindness to honor each life lost, in search of the good in humankind.  Whether it be a random act I personally did for someone else, one that was performed by one of my kids, husband or other family member, one that had been done to me, or one that was suggested by another:  I decided to focus on being the positive change that I wanted to see.  (Thanks, Gandhi for the great advice!)   The very day I took my mind off myself, and starting to focus on everyone else, everything changed.  I don’t know if the things that bothered me before went away, or if I just quit worrying about what I couldn’t change or control.  As soon as I put my focus in the right place, everything else seemed to take care of itself.  I can’t control the economy.  I can’t control gas prices.  I can’t control whether or not my clients are able to get a mortgage or not.  I can’t control maniacs with guns.  What I can control is my attitude, how I treat others, and the example I set.

I started posting 26 Random Acts of Kindness as a tribute to the children and professionals that lost their lives in the senseless massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, and I plan to do so again starting on December 14, 2013.  I would love for you to send me examples of things you have done, things that have been done to you, or acts you have witnessed.  And with your permission, share them as suggestions for the 2013 Random Acts of Kindness. 

If you haven’t seen the posts, rather than do a re-cap on this blog, you can find them on the daily posts on either of my Facebook pages over the last month: https://www.facebook.com/JaniePughofGoldenKeyRealty or https://www.facebook.com/365ThingsToDoInWarnerRobinsGa

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to make us realize how lucky we are.  Let’s learn from these sweet babies and the teachers that tried to protect them, and never take a single day for granted.  

Janie Pugh

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A Christmas Story

It’s the day before Christmas, and I wanted to share a story that my, now, 78-year old father shared several years ago about a particular Christmas Eve almost 50 years ago.  Every year, someone asks him to tell the story, so I wanted to pass along what has become a part of our Christmas story-telling traditions. 

Several years ago, Dad was on a plane traveling home from another part of our world, and was reminded when he saw no signs of Christmas or the birth of baby Jesus, just how far we had come from that great event many years ago.  Ten days in lands where the birth of the Christ child is not a part of their daily lives reminded him to think of that blessed event in Bethlehem which has changed the lives of those we know and millions of others that we don’t.

As he pondered the difference this great event made in our world and how much more is needed for peace on earth, he began to think of Christmas past.  He remembered that Christmas years ago as a child, when he got the little red wagon he wanted so much.  Not only could he play with it and make believe, but he could also use it to haul in the firewood for the iron cook stove from the nearby woods.  There weren’t a lot of gifts in those days, but they still heard the Christmas story at their little church on the mountain in middle-Tennessee.  That seemed more important than the gifts, anyway, and the story seemed so “clear” with life on their little farm.  He just couldn’t imagine a baby lying in their manger.  They didn’t have sheep, but he envisioned the shepherds on their mountaintop and at night he could see so many bright stars.  But, he wondered, how did they know which was the star over Bethlehem shining down on the manger where Jesus lay?

His thoughts moved ahead to his first year in college and going home for Christmas was a major challenge.  He took the bus from Knoxville home to Bon Air, TN.  Then he walked through the snow for 3 miles to get home.  It seemed a long way in the cold, but now that he’s older, he found that slight.  After all, Mary rode a donkey all the way to Bethlehem and she was great with child.  His trip home for Christmas was so trivial in comparison. 

A couple years later, while in veterinary school at Auburn University, he and my mom traveled home for Christmas with their first born, my sister, who was about 6 weeks old at the time.  He had paid for her doll on the installment plan; he and mom were working their way through vet school, and funds were tight.  So, it was go home for Christmas in Tennessee for all the family to see their new born child.  

Years later, they left Tennessee and moved to Texas for him to go to graduate school at Baylor University.  As you may know, graduate fellowships aren’t very much support, especially when you have a family, too.  But on Christmas Eve, there was a knock at their door.  Much to their surprise, it was a Jewish friend of theirs and his children.  His friend immediately exclaimed, “I’m your Jewish Santa Claus and we bring gifts for all your children!”  He might as well have been one of the wise men who brought gifts for baby Jesus.

Back to his flight home, many other thoughts of Christmas past came to his mind.  After 10 days in a world without Christmas, he returned to Hong Kong.  Upon arriving at his hotel room, the music of Christmas was playing!!  What a joy to be reminded of the season.  Christ indeed still lives!

Many hours and thousands of miles later, he was back in Knoxville,  He realized throughout the city, every creature was moving.  The town was all decorated for Christmas.  The crowds rushed about the city from mall to mall, in shop after shop in pursuit of toys made in China, the latest iPod or Xbox.  There were toys of mass destruction containing mercury and lead.  The newest DVDs, and cell phones for text messaging people so you don’t actually have to “talk” to them!  As he began to get discouraged, thinking, “This is not what Christmas is about!” it was time to take toys to Morgan-Scott, which is the annual Christmas project he and mom’s Sunday school class participate in together.  There were seven vans and trucks loaded to the brim to bring good cheer to the little children in the underprivileged, under served community just outside of Knoxville.  Their minds were filled with joy as they made their way through Oliver Springs, Wartburg, and Sunbright, because they could make Christmas special for this group of needy families.

But his heart was still not overjoyed.  He had to wonder, “Does the star still shine over Bethlehem?  Will there ever be peace in the middle East?”  We worry about our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan…everywhere.  We pray for their safety and wouldn't it be a blessing if wars could stop and all people could have the peace the baby Jesus’ birth proclaimed?  We pray for God’s powerful hand to show the way, but he already did----if only everyone believed.

It’s now the day before Christmas.  Thoughts of family, Christmas dinner, sharing with one another our memorable Christmas times, our blue Christmases, and maybe even the “Grinch Stole Christmas” Christmas.  There are health issues, economics, family, relationships and emotional issues.  It can be a time of great joy or one of major concern.  It is often so busy, we can’t appreciate a “real” Christmas. 

But the most awesome experience he will always remember was one Christmas almost 50 years ago, while our family was living in Kingston, TN.  He was one of the JC’s delivering Christmas boxes to the needy.  Naturally, as the local veterinarian, he was assigned the “out of town”, more rural requests.  The evening was getting late, and on Christmas Eve, he was driving as fast as he could between stops so he could get home for our family’s own Christmas preparations.  He had one more basket to go.  It was getting dark, and he was met at the door of a brand-new house, by an angry man who demanded to know why he was so late.  He noticed through the doorway, he had already received 2 other boxes from other sources and informed him they made their deliveries on schedule!  He couldn’t believe what he was hearing!  Thinking fast, he looked at his list and asked him his name.  (He already knew his name, but kept it covered with his thumb.)  When he told him his name, he said, “Oh I’m sorry….I am at the wrong house.  You aren’t on my list.”  (This was untrue, of course, but he would deal with that later.)  He walked back to his car and left, not knowing what to do with the undelivered box.  He drove through the night trying to decide what to do, when he saw a dim light in the distance.  It was not a bright star as guided the shepherd or the wise men, but he was neither, so he followed it.  The road was unfamiliar, and grew narrow.  Soon, it was not paved at all, and it was too narrow to turn around.  He could still see the dim light ahead in the distance, so he continued to drive toward it.  Eventually, he arrived at the source of the light.  He found a small wooden shack.  He knocked on the door, and a young lady answered.  The contents of the house were very modest, with furniture and cabinets made of sawmill lumber.  She had a plain scrub pine Christmas tree decorated with handmade paper chains and under the tree was a 5# bag of potatoes.  She had two children, one of which was a young baby lying in a hand-made, box-like cradle for a bed. 

He asked the lady her name.  When she replied, he said, “I’m so glad to find you!  I’ve been searching all night!  I have a Christmas basket for you from the Jay Cees in Kingston.”  “How can this be?” she said.  Again, he told a little White Christmas lie.  “But I know you!  I have my sources, so wait here until I can get your Christmas box!” 

He brought in the ham, the staples, fresh fruit, some candy and a few toys.  She was shocked and happy.  But before she could comprehend what was happening, he wished her Merry Christmas, and drove through the night.

Finally, he made it to Highway 58. As he traveled home late that Christmas Eve, he thought he heard a voice say, “Don’t worry about the lie---you don’t have to be a shepherd or wise man to worship the Christ child.  But tonight, you had a glimpse of what they experienced 2000 years ago.”

Today is the day before Christmas.  I know there are many amazing and miraculous Christmas stories out there, but I wanted to share one that is special to me and my family.  May you all enjoy the blessing of the birth of the Christ child. Merry Christmas to all and to all a season of blessings!

One final comment, which is something Dad failed to mention, that was later pointed out by my mother:  Dad went back later to try to find the wooden shack where he delivered the last basket, and it was no where to be found.  He never found the house.

Santa Has Been Spotted in Warner Robins!

Santa has been spotted, and he is making the rounds of Houston County in the next couple weeks.  It looks like our community is ready to welcome him with lots of Decked Halls and Jingling Bells!

This Saturday is the day for parades!  Warner Robins, Perry and Centerville will be marching all day!  The 55th Annual Robins Regional Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade will be Saturday, December 1, starting at 10 am. The parade will commence at the intersection of Watson Blvd. and Houston Road. Local artist and rising Nashville star Colby Dee will be this year's Grand Marshal. Bundle up and head on out for a fun morning!  Later in the day, bring the family out to Perry to enjoy Christmas at the Square in Downtown Perry on Carroll Street, on Saturday, December 1. The Christmas Parade starts at 4 pm, and runs from Main Street down Gen. C. Hodges Blvd. Centerville will host their Annual Lighted Christmas Parade a bit later at 7:00pm, and should commence close to the new library on Gunn Road. 

The Perry Area Historical Museum will host an "Old Fashioned Christmas" at the museum on Saturday, December 1, from 1:00-3:00. The museum is located at 901 Northside Drive in Perry. Come enjoy a delightful old- fashioned Christmas with friends at the Perry Museum. The event will be hosted by characters from Perry's yesteryears, showcase a special Christmas exhibit, provide carolers for a Christmas sing-a-long, and teach the children how to make Christmas crafts. There is no admission charge and refreshments will be served. For more information, go to their website: 
http://www.perryhistoricalsociety.org.

The second annual HODAC Christmas Tour of Homes will be held on Sunday, December 2, from 2-6 pm. There will be six beautifully decorated homes in Statham's Landings Subdivision. There are lots of great door prizes and raffle items available again this year. Tickets are $20 in advance, or $25 the day of the Tour. You can purchase your tickets at any of the following locations: Hodac on Watson Blvd., Golden Key Realty on S. Houston Lake Road, SunTrust Bank on Watson Blvd., SunTrust Bank on Hwy 96, SunTrust Bank on Houston Lake Road, Phillip's Furniture on Watson Blvd., and the Landings Golf Club Pro Shop. Tickets are $20.00 before the tour and $25.00 the day of the tour. All proceeds to benefit HODAC, Inc. founded in 1971, which provides education, prevention and intervention programs and services that impact the health and welfare of Georgia citizens locally and throughout the state.

Also on Sunday, December 2, at 6 pm, come back to Perry for the traditional Lighting of the Christmas Tree and storefronts by the Perry Players Lamplighter. Free hot chocolate, free Picture at the Manger, and more.

Santa will be at Golden Key Realty on Saturday, December 8, from 2-4 pm. Come see what Mrs. Claus and her elves have in store for the kiddos this year!  They have lots of games, activities, and refreshments you won't want to miss!  Great photo opp to include in your Christmas cards this year! Golden Key Realty is located at 526 S. Houston Lake Road, Warner Robins, GA.  

Christmas on Carroll in Perry is Saturday, December 8, with stores and restaurants keeping extended hours.....6-8 pm. This is another chance to Shop Small, supporting and keeping our small businesses thriving in our community.

The Perry Players Community Theater will perform "Southern Hospitality" at the theater located at 909 Main Street in Perry. Shows are December 7-9 and December 12-16 at 7:30 pm. Sunday matinees will be performed at 2:30 on December 9th and 16th. The play is a sequel to last years hilarious show "Christmas Belles" with everyone's beloved characters, and introducing some new ones, too! The favorite Futrelle sisters are back in a whole new mess! This time, their beloved hometown of Fayro, Texas is on the verge of extinction, so the sisters have to band together in a desperate attempt to save it.  Along with all the despaire, add an engagement, full blown mid-life crisis, a Civil War battle reenactment and a dead body.  The combination is sure to be a  hilarious good time! For more information and/or to get tickets, click on the link to the Perry Players website
www.perryplayers.org.

Runners and 10k-ers, grab your shoes and come out to Lane Southern Orchards on Sunday, December 9 for The Pecan Tree 10.4K. Start time is 3:04 pm, with registration starting at 2:04 pm. The race will be run through the pecan groves and along smooth, dirt roads. The proceeds from the race go to support GA 4-H and Peach County 4-H.

The Museum of Aviation will host their most popular workshop of the season: Science with Santa. Geared toward kids from pre-K through 5th grade, participants will perform a wide-range of experiments with a holiday theme. Since Santa loves science too, he will also be there to take pictures with each student. Come join Santa, December 20, 9 am to 12 pm. Cost is $30.  To register, go to the Museum of Aviation's website www.moaeducation.com and go to the event calendar and educational events to pull up the registration form.

Have a festive time this month!

www.janiepughsellshomes.com

What Do You and Warren Buffett Have in Common?

I am in a small ladies investment club that meets monthly. We each have a stock that we study and report on each month, as well as reporting on any good information we have found on stocks worth considering for purchase. Yesterday, as I was reviewing the news of the stock market, I stumbled upon an article on Warren Buffett. I say I “stumbled”, but I actually Google him every month to see what he is doing, and if he has done anything notable. I like to learn from successful people, and when you are looking at improving your financial health, he is a good one to follow. The surprising thing I learned about this man is that he seems to be remarkably normal: He has a favorite chair with a stack a books piled up next to it that he refers to and reads daily, he reads several newspapers every day and he eats ICE CREAM for breakfast! But when I hear the word “billionaire”, I think of an untouchable celebrity that lives in a mansion, drives an expensive car, and has a different Rolex for every day of the week. However, for this billionaire, what I found out is that he has lived in the same house for over 60 years. He bought his current home in 1958 for $31,500. He drives a 6 or 7 year old car. And, he reads a LOT. Interestingly, a good amount of the information he acquires is from the internet. FREE information, which he would gladly pay half his net worth just to have the information available.

We had a wonderful sales meeting this week at Golden Key Realty. My broker, Gwen Giles, does an exceptional job sharing good advice with her agents, and this week was awesome. Her ideas are practical and easy to implement, if you will just follow up and do as she suggests. The best information in the world won't do you any good if you don't do anything with it! If you refuse good advice, your plans will fail. But if you take good counsel, you can watch them succeed! The bottom line for this week's sales meeting, in summary: READ. Every day. Pick up a book and read 10 pages every day. Not the fluff-stuff, the trashy novel, or latest celebrity magazine. Pick up a good non-fiction book that will help improve your business, whether your business is selling real estate in central Georgia, flying a C-17 for the United States Air Force or building and leading a high-performing team to have a successful Black Friday sale!

I love to read. I always have. I have stacks of books in my office. I have stacks of books on my bedside table. I have a Kindle in my purse that I pull out when I am stuck in traffic, waiting on an appointment or sitting at a home inspection. I love that we have such easy access to so much information! As I read through the daily Facebook posts this month of Thanksgiving, I enjoy reading the shared blessings and thanks of my internet friends. I realize how thankful I am for all that I have and all that is yet to be. But I am also thankful for the basic foundation I got in Kindergarten: Reading, writing and arithmetic; skills that allow me to absorb and use the loads of available information and apply it everywhere. I am especially thankful that I learned how to multiply double-digits in the 70's. If I had to learn it using today's math, I would never get out of 5^th grade!

So I want to leave you with a recommendation of one of my favorite books, The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's Wealthy by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. In these times of economic struggle, it is a good read for anyone that wants to learn some good, practical financial tips. You might be surprised who could be living next door!

Welcome to Warner Robins, Georgia!



Affordable Care Act

I have had several people ask lately about the Affordable Care Act that is part of the new health care bill that goes into effect January 1, 2013.  The question is: Does the new law impose a 3.8 percent tax on profits from the sale of my home?

The answer is, no, with just a few exceptions. The new 3.8% tax will apply to the “unearned” income of “High Income” taxpayers. “Unearned” income is earnings from capital investments, such as capital gains, rental income, dividends and interest income.  The taxable portion of the unearned income that is subject to both income and the new Medicare tax is the amount of income gained from these sources, minus expenses associated with earning that income.  "High income" is considered as those with individual incomes over $200,000, or $250,000 for couples that file their taxes jointly. 

The sale must net a PROFIT of $250,000 in the sale of your PERSONAL residence, or the first $500,000 for married couples, in order to incur 3.8 percent tax.  Again, only those with Adjusted Gross Incomes (AGI) over $200,000 per year (or $250,000 for couples filing jointly) will be subject to the tax.   With these high figures, very few people will be affected. But don’t think that those with incomes over $200,000 ($250,000) are automatically taxed:  It still won’t apply unless the PROFITS from the sale of the PRIMARY RESIDENCE are $250,000 or more ($500,000 for married couples).  According to the Internal Revenue Service, in order to qualify for the $250,000 ($500,000) exclusion, you must be the owner of the home, and have lived in it as your primary residence for at least two years out of five years prior to the sale of the property. This exclusion does NOT apply to vacation homes or rental properties.  Using the September 2012 national median sales price of $183,900, as reported by the National Association of Realtors, you can see the vast majority of homeowners will not be affected, since the sale of a $183,900 home could not possibly generate a $250,000 profit.

If you have questions, or would like to discuss the sale of your property, I would be happy to help.  Please give me a call at 478-973-2684 or send me an email at: jpugh@goldenkeyrealty.net. 

Slow and Steady Wins.......

Housing prices have gone up for the fifth month in a row.....Hoping to see trend this continue!

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/30/real_estate/case-shiller-home-prices/index.html