Black and White, Blue and Red

When I grew up the color red was my favorite color.  My next favorite color was BLUE.  On the absolute spectrum I wore BLACK pants at night and during the darker months of the year and WHITE to show off my tan in the summer.  When I got married I chose a Grey/Silver and Rose as my wedding colors.  This was my solution to tying my colors to be wedding appropriate as I thought Black, White and Red were a bit stark.  The silver/grey was my neutral and the Rose, a muted RED.

Since the first time I voted I was an Independent.  I always voted for the person and not necessarily aligned my self with the party.  In most National elections I would support the Democratic candidates, however in a few rare circumstances I voted Republicans on the local State level.  

This all changed after 2016.  There is no middle ground between the Biden and Trump election.  One party stands to bring back the moral compass of this country as represented by  Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of healing the world.  This party is represented by BLUE.  

The other stands for power and economic gain only.  This party is represented by RED.  There is not one single item on their platform resembling a moral compass.  They are doing all they can to suppress the vote of non-trump supporters.  From total irresponsible handling of the corona virus, to gerrymandering, to environment deregulation this party just wants power.  There is not one statement I have heard that shows concern for the public well being.  At over crowded super spreader events  and trump rallies the main focus has been lies about the opposition party and minimizing the largest pandemic we have ever experienced.  Trump and his party are a health risk and menace to our well being nationwide.  He is still focused on crooked hillary.  

If you have not yet voted please do safely.  Wear a mask and social distance.  If you have questions about where to cast your ballot click here.  If you experience voter suppression please call 1-866-OUR-VOTE.  Your vote matters and your vote should be counted. 

I long for the days when we have a leader we can trust. I long for the days when we have a leader that cares about all Americans.  Until next week,  BLUE will continue to be my color of choice.  I will do all I can to vote and support the Biden/Harris campaign the next 4 days.  I will be on the absolute side of this campaign and cannot be Independent for now.  An Independent or 3rd party vote will only dilute the Biden victory.  

After the election, I hope all conversations can go back to the grey/silver zone in a future where we can all talk to each other and engage in civil conversations.  I do not like how every encounter is black or white, liberal or right wing.  But this is how it is in a trump world that feeds it self on divisiveness.  If Biden is elected he will work hard to bring this country together and end this trend.  I look forward to when I can see RED as just a color that I like and not a party that I abhor.  I will proudly polish my nails BLUE this weekend.  If you would like to help with the Biden victory please click here.    

Voting for Change is needed to "Build Back Better"

Today I listened to President Obama speaking at a community event on Systemic Racism in Philadelphia. His objective was to engage young Black voters to vote in the upcoming election. He metaphorically compared disenfranchisement of non-voters to those of us who exercise and don't see immediate results.  The gut trend may be to give up and stop exercising.  The better response would be to acknowledge that although you don't see immediate results you are developing a pattern for good health if you continue to exercise.

Voting is a right that we all need to exercise.  Although we may not see immediate results we must voice our opinions and speak up to further the conversation.  Change doesn't happen immediately.   Like exercise we often won't see immediate results but if you don't get involved or give up you won't see any results.  Change takes a long time and can only happen when it is pursued.  It requires cultivating a pattern of long term habits.  

We need the mindset of becoming involved and agreeing to make change.  If we model and get our peers to do the same we will gain further engagement.  We need to look forward to the long term and continue to exercise our rights to make change. As an advocate for change I have been drawn to the Biden/Harris campaign as I do believe they share a platform of humanity and decency that is needed desperately for our country.   

Coincidentally early this afternoon,  I had a long conversation with a new Facebook friend T. Michael Thomas.  He is the founder of a program called "The Peoples Academy".  This is the first program of its kind in the Boston area with the goal of engaging young and at risk youth to learn trade skills.   Students are taught to hold "hammers" and BUILD instead of holding "guns".  T. Michael had started this program in his home and has been working on it for over 15 years.  TPA recently broke ground to build a permanent school in Boston. This is a prime example of "Building Back Better".  He was recently featured on WCVB below and is working hard to make a difference in his community.  

Building programs such as TPA create opportunities that enhance all of our communities.  This is evidenced with the mission of the Mass Cultural Council, where I have been involved for over 10 years.  Communities grow and become safer havens when culture and innovation are brought to the local area.  This creates better economic opportunity for all of us at the grass roots level.  

Voting makes a difference.  Passion and perseverance make a difference.  We all benefit if we can work hard to vote for change and build back a better America.  We have the opportunity right now to make some changes.  Joe Biden's latest campaign ad illustrates this and the goal of becoming one America again.  We have to all exercise our voices and get everyone we know to vote.  Please join me in using your privilege to vote in the upcoming election.  We need each and every vote to count.  We all need to Build, Back, Better.  

Wendy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker.  She has also been serving as  the Chairperson for the Dover Cultural Council for her third term.  She greatest passion is working with and providing resources for her family, friends and clients to help make the world a better place.  

Wendy's Weekend Adventure: The Forbidden Path (Along New Seabury Golf C...

Due Diligence When It Matters for Real Estate Clients and Voters

As a Realtor, my role is to advocate for the best interests of my clients.   I take this fiduciary duty very seriously and am always pursuing opportunities to improve my skill set while exploring new tools to improve the client experience.  Buying real estate is a major decision for a Buyer.  As a Buyer client advocate my most important role is to guide clients in doing their "Due Diligence".  This involves having an independent home inspection of the property and if required additional inquiries for potential concerns such as Radon, Lead, Septic or other issues that may arise as well as involves researching questions that I may be unable to answer.  For a quick overview of the inspection process shared in a prior blog post click here  I think it is important to know as much as one can before making a decision that impacts one's financial and living situation.

We are now in the midst of a very important Presidential election.  The stakes of this election could not be any higher between Trump and his opponent Joe Biden.  There is a (about 40%) core base of voters who support the current president no matter what.  They are following whatever he says no matter how dishonest and harmful at the expense of the rest of us. 

There are still several undecided voters, which is a bit surprising this late in the game and I am writing this blog post to appeal to you primarily.  Do your home work.  If you want to learn about plans please go to www.JoeBiden.com.  Joe has detailed plans for COVID response, infastructure, building back the economy and much more.  Ask trump supporters what his success record and clear plans are.  For contrast can you find much on www.donaldtrump.com?    

There is much information in the news media and it is important to know your sources.  A startup company headed by Vanessa Otero has launched a project through Ad Fontes Media to identify and evaluate news sources.  She offers webinars and tools to allow readers to do their homework and decipher the media out there and offers online classes for students.  I first learned about this resource from my brother and author of the Blog, BlindspotBlog.US, Maxwell Stearns who is on her Advisory Board.  I have taken a few webinars and found them very worthwhile.  Many news outlets have been compromised and have sources that are tied to the Kremlin.  See yesterday's WSJ article which discusses some recent findings.  In addition much on Facebook is tied to fake accounts.  It is critical to find your way through the weeds.  

 I hope all voters will make their vote decision based on accurate and relevant information and not fall abyss to political pressure.  There is a lot of misleading information out there and much of it can be dangerous.  The propaganda is out there and it can be damaging.  

As a responsible American Citizen and Voter it would be irresponsible for me to encourage anyone to vote without knowing the details of the candidate (ie: covid testing, tax returns).  I BEG you to do your homework.  I BEG you to take this election seriously.  Truth Matters, Transparency matters.  If you see information regarding each candidate being surpressed ask why?  Lastly, if you need information on the voting process itself please check Plan Your Vote.

As a Realtor,  I always encourage my clients to do their homework before making a decision.  You must be your own advocate and if hiring a fiduciary representative they will work to protect your interests.  

Wendy is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Needham.  She enjoys coffee, walking her dog, theater/arts, reading, writing, travel and meeting new people.  She always welcomes the opportunity to have a virtual coffee now that we are amidst the “new normal”.  Check out her website at www.wendybcb.com or her fb page @wendybcb as she posts up to date content to meet the ever changing marketplace.