| Pride can be a dangerous thing. We all remember the | | | | into the rear of a flatbed trailer carrying metal tubing. A |
| Biblical reference that states, "Pride goes before the | | | | piece of pipe had gone through the car's windshield, |
| fall." Take for example a customer who walked into a | | | | pinning a woman in the wreckage. The trucker |
| pet shop. He ambled over to a parrot in a cage and | | | | continued to tie up the channel, frustrating all attempts |
| asked the bird, "Hey, Stupid, can you talk?" The bird | | | | to obtain help. Finally he came upon the scene of the |
| answered, "Sure can, Dummy. Can you fly?" | | | | accident himself. To his utter dismay, he discovered |
| When it comes to your community however, pride is | | | | that the critically injured person was his own wife! |
| positive and important issue. Taking pride in the | | | | When a doctor did arrive, he said that if he had been |
| surroundings of your home, and the homes of your | | | | notified even ten minutes earlier, the woman's chances |
| neighbors, is not only beneficial for your overall | | | | for survival would have been much greater. |
| well-being, it is critical to your financial bottom line. | | | | The truck driver in the story did not realize that his |
| Communities that allow their properties to devalue due | | | | unwillingness to assist others would bring about a |
| to poor management of landscaping, unmanaged | | | | terrible sorrow to himself and his family. When we fail |
| changes to the outside of the homes and a lack of | | | | to do our part in taking care of our home, and the |
| pride in the care of the community facilities, see their | | | | public areas in our communities, we are actually hurting |
| individual home values drop precipitously. | | | | ourselves and everyone else. Maintaining standards for |
| A story may help you see what I mean. A few years | | | | the care, upkeep, design and function of our |
| ago a newspaper editorial commended most truck | | | | community properties makes life more enjoyable, more |
| drivers for using their CB radios in a constructive way. | | | | beautiful and financially it adds value that we will |
| However, it concluded with a warning to those who | | | | appreciate when we decide to sell or refinance our |
| misuse this means of communication. The writer gave | | | | own property. |
| this unforgettable example. In Colorado, several people | | | | Pride in your community is a valuable pride and it is |
| begged a trucker to free the channel so that they | | | | something that must be maintained over a long period |
| could put through an emergency call, but he refused to | | | | of time. We must not become careless in matter of |
| cooperate. They wanted to direct a doctor to the | | | | community pride. |
| scene of a serious accident. An automobile had driven | | | | |