If The Shoe Fits...

Sources of Inspiration, and a Touch of Dismay.

As some of you know who've been following along, I've decided to have a little experiment at home. It's my desire to not throw anything away for a year and see what I come up with. I'll either recycle, reuse, compost or give away as much as I possibly can.

In my search for information related to plastic bags - you know, the ubiquitous white flappy things given out ad nauseum at your local store - I ran across several inspiring things, and one not-so-much.

1. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch: a floating sea of trash that's several hundred million acres in size. Just a few photos from this mess have compelled me to make significant changes in my lifestyle.

2. SustainableDave: I really hope I have a chance to meet this guy. I am really inspired by his vigilance, his commitment and his demeanor. He approaches these topics with care and empathy, not from a "holier-than-thou" place often displayed by some of my fellow tree huggers.

And then there's this..

3. SmallerIndiana: "Smaller Indiana makes creative people and innovative ideas easier to find. This is the place for you to share your ideas and engage with Indiana's most creative and inspired souls...working together to build community, culture and commerce." I am a bit skeptical about how "inspired" many participants of this forum actually are. The usual suspects of young-ish, angry, white, male, anti-government, "let-me-make-as-much-trash-as-I-want-because-it's-none-of-your-business-you-tax-and-spend-liberal" make their regular appearances. It's disheartening to say the least.

I'll keep plugging away. Making my own choices. Hopefully inspiring those around me to make better choices for themselves and their families.

Today's task? Shoot some sample documentary photos of a trip to Burger King for a veggie burger, fries and a shake. I'm hungry, and the cupboards are bare.

I am seeing fewer of these trips in my future...

Ignorance Is Bliss.

Ah...to be able to take the blue pill and plug back into the matrix. Forget all this tree-hugger crap and just consume with reckless abandon. Fill landfills with my waste without a concern.

Bliss...

So far, not much luck on being 100% free of producing trash. I'm saving more than ever, but still manage to make a bag of trash every few weeks.

I've not had the cash to get a composting bin, nor a container for my kitchen. I suppose I could temporarily use a soup pot with a lid, huh?!?

Anyone have experience with worm composting?

Having the intention in my mind, though, has made me notice so many little things.

How many plastic straws are used worldwide every year? What are they made from? How about the wrappers?

WTF is up with Starbucks and their unwillingness to let me reuse an old plastic cup - that I've washed out, mind you - for a cold drink? They say it's a health code issue..but they let me use my own thermal cup or a reusable plastic cup that I bought from them. Sounds like bullsh*t to me.

What am I supposed to do with wax-coated cups from Taco Bell? Maybe I'll make a sculpture.

And, as much as I'd like to admit otherwise, I'm just not ready to make a septic system in my back yard for my pet poo. I just don't have the stomach for it yet.

More as it happens. Thanks for following along.

A Rumi Poem

The way of love is not a subtle argument.
The door there is devastation.
Birds make great sky-circles of their freedom.
How do they learn it?
They fall, and falling, they're given wings.


Rumi

Originally posted as a comment by joeshoe on Chris Brogan using Disqus.

Cat Poop. Recycling. Composting. Oh My!

I've been kicking this idea around in my head for awhile now:

Don't throw anything away for a year.

"WTF," you say?

Here's some data:

• In the U.S., 4.39 pounds of trash per day and up to 56 tons of trash per year are created by the average person.
  

• Only about one-tenth of all solid garbage in the United States gets recycled.
  
• Every year we fill enough garbage trucks to form a line that would stretch from the earth, halfway to the moon.
  
• Each day the United States throws away enough trash to fill 63,000 garbage trucks.
  
• Almost 1/3 of the waste generated the U.S. is packaging
• Seventy percent of U.S. municipal solid waste gets buried in landfills.
  
• U.S. landfills are closing at the rate of 1 per day
• Every year, nearly 900,000,000 trees are cut down to provide raw materials for American paper and pulp mills.
• America is home to 5% of the world's population, yet it consumes 1/3 of the Earth's timber and paper; making paper the largest part of the waste stream at 37.5% of the total waste stream.
• Producing recycled white paper creates 74% less air pollutants, 35% less water pollutants, and 75% less process energy than producing paper from virgin fibers.
  
• Sixty percent of the world's lead supply comes from recycled batteries.
  
• It takes 90% less energy to recycle an aluminum can than to make a new one.

I'm motivated to see how little trash I can produce, and I can't think of a better way than to just not throw anything away. I'll either recycle, reuse, compost, donate, or store everything I bring into my house. I'll need to take my own drinking containers everywhere. No more wax-coated cups from Taco Bell or cardboard sleeves on my coffee cups.

I think it's time I step up to the proverbial plate and take full responsibility for my choices.

There are a few minor things to figure out.

1. How do I dispose of my cats' waste? Here's what I found.
2. How do I dispose of my dog's waste? Here's what I found for this, too.
3. What happens when I go out to eat (which is all too frequently)?
4. What about things that can't be recycled?

I'm off to make some preparations.

I need to get at least 2 more recycling bins, a composter, and a container for my kitchen to temporarily hold compostables. And I'll need to decide if I'm really ready to create a septic system in my back yard for pet poo.

Ick.

I'll be checking in about my progress. Wish me luck!

Life Lesson: Live Your Passion. Immediately.

I had a lot of interests as a kid. I loved all sorts of music then (still do), European sports cars, hand-built bicycles (I built a bike from pieces when I was 11), cool houses and beer cans.

Yes, I collected beer cans. When I was 10. I loved the colors and images on the labels. The hilarious photos on the “Olde Frothingslosh” cans. The gorgeous green metal flake on the Cloud Nine can. I still have a few special examples that I didn't trade for my first Harley Davidson. (Yep... I actually used beer cans as a down payment on a 1979 HD Sportster.)

But somewhere along the way, I got it in my head that I had to sacrifice my passions for pragmatism. Give up the dreams. Grow up. Get a real job. Shove money into a 401(k) and retire to somewhere sunny. “You’ll do it and you’ll like it, kid.”

I did it. I didn’t like it.

Here's what I know now.

Making ANY ONE of my childhood passions my life's obsession would have paved the way for all of the pragmatic issues of supporting a family, paying my bills, living with zeal and bringing joy into the world.

Had I chosen to live and breathe hand-built bicycles, I may have become the world's greatest bike builder. Instead, I gaze longingly at gorgeous bikes hanging in shops... wondering "what if..."

Had I chosen to grow my hair long and pick up a guitar when I wanted to, I might have become the rock star that some said I would never be. Instead, I'm a noodler after playing that darned instrument for more than 30 years.

Had I chosen to follow my obsession for European sports cars, who knows... I may now own the most exclusive Maserati, Ferrari and Lamborghini dealership in the US.

Funny thing, though. Even if I didn't become the next Eric Clapton or didn't end up building bikes for Lance Armstrong or selling cars to bajillionaires.... I would have been LIVING MY PASSION, resulting in happiness no huge commission check can replace.

Don't get me wrong. While I do have regrets, none of them are having me jump off a bridge. I simply am able to see how my choices then have affected my day today.

Nothing... and I mean NOTHING... can take the place of following my bliss.

I've tried. I've made and spent more money that I care to think about. I've slaved over projects that I despised. Worked for bosses I despise even more. All in the name of pragmatism.

Well fu*k that nonsense. Being Happy Comes First.

I now find myself more than half way through my life... broke, passionless and searching.

So what’s a guy to do?

How about starting at the beginning?

Pick up my guitar and play. Just like yesterday. Every day.

Obsess about cool houses. Make it a priority. Live and breathe Mid-Century Modern. Support my friends in their passion for all things Mod.

Take those beer cans out of that box in the closet and display them prominently in my house. Remember the joy that a $2 EMPTY can of beer brought.

And KNOW that beyond the shadow of a doubt, all of the practical things like bills and retirement and dental insurance will absolutely fall into place.

So what's life’s lesson?

Pick a passion. Today. ANY ONE. It really doesn’t freaking matter what it is. It could be fly fishing or drumming or making tie-dye t-shirts (I made a few thousand of them) or motorcycle racing or men’s suits or brooms or roller derby. It’s your life. It’s your passion. Live it. Breathe it. Stay in love with it. 

Just don’t give it up for ANYONE or ANYTHING.

You’ll be happier that you've ever dreamed and making a difference in the world in ways you can’t even fathom.

I promise.

Life Throws Me a Curve Ball.

It has been a great year so far. I came out of a Christmas break retreat in Florida with a new enthusiasm, a new commitment to personal and professional growth, and an attitude of gratitude.

I had a bit of an epiphany on the beach in Ft. Myers. I saw - really saw - for the first time how I'd been living my life in reverse.

Being 43 and completely broke - and I mean that with complete seriousness... BROKE!!! - has a way of putting things into perspective.

I've had it in my mind for my entire life that I was supposed to grow up, get a job, give up my personal dreams, sacrifice my deepest desires, pile money into a 401(k)...and then MAYBE I could think about living the life of my dreams...and then MAYBE I could be happy.

THAT'S COMPLETELY BACKWARDS!

A life worth living STARTS with being happy. CHOOSE HAPPINESS. In spite of life's apparent difficulties, I can ALWAYS choose to be happy. I can find gratitude in the midst of any hardships. And from that place I can also choose to live the life of my dreams. That doesn't necessarily mean that I suddenly conjure up a Maserati and live in a $3 million dollar house. It means that from a place of gratitude, my ideas about what the life of my dreams looks like shifts substantially. It's not about the stuff. It's about the people and the relationships I wish to foster.

So I took a job at a nearby Starbucks for a few hours a week. Making fancy $6 coffee drinks for people who - judging by the relative condition of their cars - ought not be spending that kind of cash on highly caffeinated and sugar-laden treats has provided me a unique insight into the human condition. Some days I love people. Other days I am disgusted by humans.

I've been spending considerable time business networking. I joined Rainmakers, a terrific local group dedicated to providing a platform for building business relationships. I've made some great new friends and gained some great insight into how having a positive, service-oriented attitude contributes to my personal and professional success.

And I've made some really neat new friends and acquaintances. Musicians and writers and roller derby girls and hot rodders and rock-a-billy queens and photographers ... people who are living life at 100%, full-out, completely authentic. They inspire me to love. To be all I can be. To open my heart and my mind to all that I'm capable of being and doing.

Then SMACK! I got my ass kicked by some random illness. I don't know what got me, but I feel like I've been hit by a truck. I spent 5 days sweating with a 101* fever. I gave up 6 vials of blood to an infections disease specialist. I slept for nearly 10 days, squeezing in an occasional bit of work when I could muster the strength.

And though I'm finally feeling like I might be back among the living, I still don't know what I have...or had. I only know that whatever it is/was really took it out of me. It's as though I forgot how to do the basics. How to find gratitude. How to bathe regularly. When to eat and when to sleep. What it means to work.

I'm scared. Like I've never been scared. I can deal with being broke. Hard work cures that. But I'm not sure I'm ready to have some nasty terminal illness. Hard work won't cure that.

Changing Direction.

I am in the midst of a "re-branding" of my various blogs.

Just what I need...more things to try and keep track of. I can barely remember to eat, much less keep up with yet another "social media" site.

I had coffee the other day with a friend and mentor. She's actively writing a book, and I am listening to her guidance related to that process. It will involve social media, weekly set-aside time to write, discipline (as if I'm brimming with it), transparency and accountability.

To that end, I'll be converting this blog to be a more personal journal. I've decided to create the framework there to support my desire to write a book. I'll pull off the Real Estate stuff and push it over to my real estate blog.

joeshoe.typepad.com will now be a place for more personal reflection. Introspection. Transparency.

Wish me luck.

STUNNING MODERN UPDATED CARMEL RANCH

Now and then, I am fortunate to have the rare opportunity to market a home that I would actually live in. Sure, I've been in $15 Million dollar homes that are incredible. I've shown homes that are nice and attractive and much more luxurious than I'd ever consider.

But this one's different. It's owned by perhaps one of the most talented designers around, and he's applied his talents to this superb update of a classic Carmel, Indiana ranch home.

This designer-owned home is a must see! Fully updated Modern ranch with top-of-the-line Stainless Steel appliances, designer finishes and modern materials.

This custom-built home boasts a Better Homes and Gardens featured Kitchen, Interior Design Magazine's Eco-Friendly Product of the Year wall coverings and designer elements made just for this home.

 Huge windows and skylights flood the interior with light and compliment the open floor plan. It's SUPER HOT! (Bedroom #2 is currently used as den. It can be converted if required.)

Here's a link to the Virtual Tour

What is RESPA and why should I care?

RESPA is an acronym, standing for the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. It’s a consumer protection statute, first passed in 1971. It is about closing costs and settlement procedures. RESPA requires that consumers receive disclosures at various times in the transaction and outlaws kickbacks that increase the cost of settlement services. RESPA is a HUD consumer protection statute designed to help homebuyers be better shoppers in the home buying process, and is enforced by HUD.

RESPA covers things like the adequate disclosure by mortgage lenders to consumers of charges related to the origination of a loan, the requirement that the lender provide a Good Faith Estimate (GFE) of settlement costs, the disclosure of affiliated business arrangements to Buyers, etc.

There is also a section related to kickbacks, fee-splitting and unearned fees. Section 8 (not the Housing Choice Voucher Program) of RESPA prohibits anyone from giving or accepting a fee, kickback or any thing of value in exchange for referrals of settlement service business involving a federally related mortgage loan. In addition, RESPA prohibits fee splitting and receiving unearned fees for services not actually performed.

This week, the Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of REALTORS® sponsored an event downtown called the “Central Indiana Housing Summit.” It was a yearly gathering of REALTORS® from across the state at the Convention Center, and provides an opportunity to learn from expert economists, politicians, builders, developers and other REALTORS® about the general state of the Real Estate market in Central Indiana.

So here's the thing...A local mortgage company offered free rides on a shuttle bus to the Summit from the Glendale area. Local Real Estate Agents were invited to gather early and ride along, lessen the impact on the environment, avoiding the hassles of traffic, parking, etc.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for mass transit and carpooling. Anything we can do to lessen our carbon footprint makes me happy. But I’m also a bit of a real estate law wonk. My interest was piqued. I honestly didn't know if this was something that would get me crossways with HUD. Was this bus ride, as generous and well-intended as it was, a violation of Section 8 of RESPA?

I asked HUD by email about the bus. Amazingly, I received a phone call from Geri Hansen, Compliance Specialist at the Office of RESPA and Interstate Land Sales, US Department of Housing & Urban Development. I re-explained the scenario and her response was clear and unequivocal.

The free bus ride was a violation of Section 8. It would be viewed by HUD as an attempt by this mortgage lender to solicit referrals from Real Estate agents by giving them something of value. Plain and simple. And while the “value” of that thing may have been small to some individuals, it was, nonetheless, a thing of some value.

The response from my fellow REALTORS® was…well…mighty disturbing.

An employee of our local Board of REALTORS® said, “Joe, hate to tell you but there is no violation and I checked. So they were being good citizens, saving gas and the environment.”

I’m not sure whom she checked with, but when a Compliance Specialist at HUD says that it’s a violation, I’m going believe the HUD employee. I’m a bit disturbed, too, to think that a very decent and loyal employee of our local Board – one of my favorite humans on the planet, actually – is incorrect about this issue and her information is coming from within MIBOR. Yikes!

Another REALTOR® - someone who actually manages a large north side office and trains new agents – said in a very condescending way, “knock yourself out and file a complaint. One of my title reps sent me a Valentine’s Day card. I’m turning him in!”

An awfully flippant response to a violation of Federal Housing statute, don’t you think? And this person’s actually running an office and is responsible for millions of dollars in transactions every year?

Yet another agent who is on the Board of one of the MIBOR Divisions responded, “What are you serious??? A Bus ride to a free seminar on housing. I think that’s taking it to the extreme buy [sic] calling thing of value. That's ridiculous!! We are just trying to encourge [sic] folks to go to the housing summit. To call it an item of value is a complete strecth. [sic]”

Heavy sigh…

Should you care if the REALTOR® you hire follows or understands federal housing statute? If they don’t understand the law, but instead choose to overtly ignore it – or interpret it to their own liking – can they adequately represent your interests?

I believe that you should care about RESPA. I do.

Starting the New Year with an Attitude of Gratitude

Let's face it. 2008 was not the best year for me, either personally or professionally. The difficult end of my marriage. Financial challenges. A tanking real estate market. Global financial market meltdown.

Yikes. It's about enough to drive me to move to Belize and rent lawn chairs to tourists.

Thusly, my year-end retreat to Southwest Florida was well timed and much needed. It provided me an opportunity to get out of my usual routine and take a fresh look at things. Get out of my fully-furnished rut, put some new eyeballs on my situation and get some sand in my Crocs.

I don't necessarily FEEL any better just yet. But I did remember a few things while I was gone. Most significantly, that it's my attitude that determines my outcomes. That in spite of the seemingly insurmountable circumstances, I do have the ability to choose to live my life with thankfulness, gratitude and a commitment to serve others.

And so I'm starting 2009 with a "Gratitude List." I hope you'll write your own today and create a way to help someone feel better about themselves, too.

Today, I'm grateful for:

1. My kids. If you're a parent, you understand the blessing of kids. I now am able to see my parents through different eyes and have a better relationship with them as a result. My kids remind me to lighten up on a regular basis.

2. Good friends. I spent a few hours last night with some friends. We ate chicken and noodle soup that my friend Liz lovingly prepared, and played Scrabble. It was simple. Drama-free. (Except that 3 the 4 of us are in varying stages of relationship breakup and variably whiny.) Heart-filled. And real. Thank you Liz, Ellen and Tim. I am grateful for you three.

3. Warm socks, gloves and a hat. I went out to walk the dog this morning and it was damned nippy. Those few little woolen things are so simple and so cheap. And they make my life better. I remember, too, that many people on this planet don't have these things, much less a dog to walk. Or a warm home to live in. Or a pot of hot coffee awaiting their return.

4. My teachers. There have been many people over the years - some actual teachers - who have had a profound impact on my life. Mr. Cox was my high school math teacher. He called me "Boots" and was, perhaps, the most joy-filled human I'd ever met to that point. Tragically, he was killed in a car accident many years ago. Then there are the spiritual teachers I've known in person and in writing: His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Wallace Black Elk, Pema Chodron, Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, Buddha, Ken Wilber, Lao Tzu, Jesus, Tim Laughter, Walt Wirth. Always reminding me to look outside of my self. Be of service to other people. Remember my place in things.

5. Support. I have been fortunate that for over 20 years I have chosen to surround myself with amazing people, individuals who work more than anything at being better people. I especially have a group of men that I meet with on a regular basis for encouragement and support. Texas Hold 'Em is NOT what we're about.

6. Mac. That's my dog. The little shit. Mac Attack. Angus Macduff. He has his own Facebook page, and friends that I don't know. Explain that one to me! He wakes me on mornings when I'd rather pull the covers over my head and hibernate. He loves me even when I feel unlovable. He keeps me warm at night. And he only occasionally eats things I'd rather he not.

7. All of my gadgets. I'm really lucky, you see. I have things that surround me that make my life easier. A microwave and an iPhone. My car and my iMac. A working furnace and a fax machine. I'm really lucky. Damned lucky.

8. Coffee. I love it and it loves me.

Here's to an ass-kicking 2009!