people are "funny"

Funny, strange. Funny, haha. Funny, odd. Funny, fickle. Just funny. People are "funny".

In all of my professions since college, I have had to do "marketing" of some sort that relied heavily on the people I already knew. As a short-term overseas pastor and a campus pastor, I raised my own support primarily through friends, family, and acquaintances from all stages of my life. As a personal trainer, my clients were great friends of mine, but also my lifeblood. Now, real estate is kind of a mix of the two, relying on people who know you to refer you clients, while becoming great friends with the people who pay your salary.

And through it all, I can't even count the number of surprises. Those who you think will totally "get it" complain about everything you do and want you to "take me off your list". Those who you barely know love hearing from you and respond to everything you e-mail/mail them with best wishes and uncanny support. I send out e-mails to a list of around 150 e-mail addresses of friends and acquaintances on a roughly bi-weekly basis, and I get 5 encouraging responses, two complaints about what I wrote (one was about the fact that I mail merge my e-mails even though it's not exactly a "personal e-mail", and the other was about my auto-reply that is sent whenever you e-mail me), and one "take me off" demand. (Honestly, I'd rather the last of those three than the second.)

Whatever...again, people are funny. I'd write more about the "auto-reply" scenario I find myself in (and I've also been meaning to write about my major pet peeve with the latest Century 21 commercial), but my car is ready to be picked up from the shop and I need to get to two stores before the night is out...just material for next time, I guess. :)

Peace,
Greg