I Know How A Butterfly Feels. Ann Palmer

put me in a totally awkward position. They came as a group to the doorway of my meeting room that was about to begin and offered me a place on the Board BUT not as President as they had already elected this “Linda” to take my place. If I agreed, then they would join my meeting. I said I would agree only if I was reinstated as President. After all, this was my “baby” that had been taken from me! They said they would not. I said I had to think about it and they said I had to decide then and there! Not knowing what the people attending my meeting wanted, I could not make that decision until I heard them out. The board walked away and I continued my meeting with good people and good suggestions.

      Time passed and again I tried working with the same sales woman from the radio show idea to sell sponsorships for the TV show promoting the wedding business in the desert. That went on for weeks and again, nothing happening. In the meantime, I went into Los Angeles to videotape inserts at a studio for the potential TV show. These were helpful hints that could be added to the show where spots were open for potential future sponsors. Writing all of them, imposing on friends to help me produce the spots was a lot of thankless work and they were never used.

      As time passed, the Wedding Association that I founded seemed to be flourishing. I was glad that it was but I was also disappointed and hurt that they had cut me out so completely. Again, I have to repeat; I felt it was my baby, my idea and my work that it was taken from me with NO gratitude or acknowledgement. They had meetings and invited people who had attended my meeting but never invited me.

      These things that happened in my three years in Palm Springs were so discouraging, especially my disappointment with the wedding association, that I became disenchanted with the desert. Even the Chamber of Commerce seemed more responsive in promoting the wedding association than me. They felt no loyalty toward the work I had done. In three years I had not made any friends. My one friend that I had known for thirty years was very ill and we could spend no time together. Plus the fact, the desert summers are totally unbearable for me. I like to live with open doors and windows. With 110 to 120 degree temperatures, one lives like a hermit inside the house with air conditioning running for many months. Nighttime is the only tolerable time to go shopping. Many people thrive in the heat – not me!

      The only good thing that came out of my meeting that day was becoming friends with another minister. Blair was a more confident person than I was. She urged me to charge more for weddings, which I did and got paid the fees I asked. We helped each other. Both were pretty well fed up with the desert. We talked about opening a wedding chapel together nearer the beach area in North San Diego County.

      Then 9/11 HAPPENED and hit the news media 24-hours a day! Everything changed for many people that day! We all began wondering “what if” – and of course, I couldn’t help but think California had to be a likely target for the terrorists! Around the same time, Blair had begun dating a really nice guy who lived in his motor home. Before long she was planning to take off with him. With the threat of terrorism, I had lost interest in creating a wedding chapel. Before I knew it she and her new beau were off and gone traveling in his motor home. My gypsy soul was stirring again!

       CHAPTER 3

      

       MAKING A DECISION

       AND ACTION FOLLOWED

      After my last summer’s RV travel, the thought began churning around in my head to sell my house, buy a motor home for full time living. There is NO perfect place weather-wise! The desert was ungodly hot in the summers and beyond! Yet, for many people, it is a winter paradise. Other areas are ungodly cold! Living in a motor home, if the weather changes drastically, just turn on the key and go! If work or other temptations appear, turn on the key and GO. I had lived in my Airstream travel trailer for months at a time and was content. When things seem hopeless, I create a new plan and new goals.

      I began sorting and getting rid of stuff – especially clothing – five huge garbage bags were taken to Mexico by a Mexican man I met. He would give them to anyone on the street that appeared to need them. Things began going to consignment stores. How could I have collected so much “stuff” in only three years! It was a chore to just get the house in presentable order to show it.

      By November it was in some semblance of order. That was usually the beginning of “the season” in the desert when “snowbirds” flood into all the desert cities.

      Still, there was so much confusion over 9/11 that no one was shopping for houses. Against my better judgment, I signed with a sales agent. Two months passed and not one showing of the house. I cancelled the listing. Meanwhile I was searching the Internet to familiarize myself with the availability and prices of motor homes, plus placing ads for the sale of my house.

      After the first of the year 2002, a few people began shopping for homes. Mine was a manufactured house in a Country Club park where you own the house but not the land. By the time I paid lot rent, utilities and general living expenses, it was a month-to-month struggle for survival. It kept me hustling for weddings. I had hustled so much seeking acting and modeling jobs my hustle had worn out! I wanted more out of life than just living to pay month-to-month expenses. I had rather do with less and be HAPPY!

      As the months rushed by with no sale of the house plus I was tired of having “lookers” that had no intentions of buying wander through my privacy. Finally, it dawned on me that it seemed I always had to “go out on a limb” to make things happen. I had shopped around for a motor home all those months but with no plans to buy one until my house sold. Suddenly, one day in April, I found one that suited my living necessities and zap, I signed papers to buy it! Now, I was really sweating it out. My weddings seemed to drop off to nothing. I hustled around to all the temporary employment agencies to find work – nothing. Pressure and stress was on! Indigestion prevailed. Meditation and prayers didn’t seem to be helping! What would I do in the summer if I had to make motor home payments plus the usual expenses and NO work?

      I spent hundreds of dollars on ads that generally brought very little results. I placed ads all over the Internet with no results! April meant the “season” was waning away. The “Open House” sign attracted lookers until finally a nice gentleman stopped in and I hoped he was a good prospect. Not so, he was a mobile home salesman. We sat and talked for quite a long while and I decided to again try signing with an agent, only with the understanding that if any of my ads brought buyers, I paid no commission to them.

      Eight days after signing with the nice gentleman, there came an Email asking about my house. I called the people in San Diego. They came up – we talked for hours. I showed them all the park facilities and they decided then and there to buy it. Hooray – oh happy day! no person at the agency ever showed my house ONCE or did any advertising during those eight days. Unfortunately for me, the husband decided he had rather go through an agent; therefore I referred him to the listing salesman.

      Years ago, I worked as a sales person in the desert selling mobile homes. I probably sold around 20 doublewide homes, plus this was the seventh mobile home I owned and sold without an agent. I also had a Real Estate license while living in Florida. I had all the necessary information and papers from both state and city. Ironically, the salesman told me he had not yet received his license and had sold only one mobile home. After the buyers contacted him and committed to buy my house, for three days I left messages for the Manager of the agency to work out a fair and equitable commission since it was my customer, my sale PLUS, because of my situation, the manager and General Manager finally decided to allow the couple to move into the park. Through the Agent, the Park had refused them because she was not yet 55 years of age. NO agent could have gotten that exception. THEY could have lost the deal completely and redirected MY buyers to their other listings. The park made an exception ONLY to help ME! The manager of the sales agency told me he was taking 10% and there would be no concession or consideration for me. There was no reasoning with him. I was so angry; I was shaking and hung up on him. Because of the requirements of going through an Agent and Escrow, the pressures grew with each hour! Would someone cause the deal to be cancelled? Again, I was in panic over what I would do if it did fall through!

      There