From the Ground Up!

Several years ago, probably 12,  outside of Boise was Eagle, a small farm type town.  Builders and contractors with vision saw the possibilities of creating a town from the ground up.  The Eagle City Council formed a strict set of rules.  Criteria that must be met for any builder that wanted to build a subdivision.  These were large homes.  some huge homes.  Several mansions.  The first requirement was the roadside landscaping had to be done uniformly.  There were cement walking paths adjacent to the road bordered by grass.  A large berm built up with fences on property line.  The trees and shrubs were all mapped out and there was to be no deviation.  Every detail of how things were to be must be adhered to. It grew like a movie set.  starting with pasture land and resulting in high-end homes.  It's really breathtaking in it's manicured uniformity.

Well, almost uniform in beauty!  Recently I was visiting my sister in Eagle and as we drove down Floating Feather towards her gorgeous subdivision, I noticed near the canal bank that meanders partially hidden, that there was a large lot for sale in the berm area.  It had a huge For Sale sign facing the roadway.  Being as how it's fall, the overgrown grass was brown and messy.  I commented that it was strange, for that one piece of property to have not sold, when all the others did.  

She explained.  When the builders/contractors flocked in to be in on that ground floor of building this gorgeous town they brought their money bags, negotiated with land owners, paid a fair price that was pretty consistent with all of the buyers.  The majority of people sold when approached, perhaps thinking of increased taxes or just the chance to better their life or who knows what they were feeling or thinking?  The man that owns the raggedy forlorn large size lot refused to sell at the offered price.  He valued his land more than others.  He wanted a substantially larger price.  The offerers said what they put on the table was fair and what they'd done for others.  He refused to budge.  They wouldn't bend either.  He said the day would come they would beg him for the land and pay his price.


Uh-oh.  not so!  The sidewalk, as planned and required,  was built on the city land with the grass on the roadside so nothing was interrupted in that way.  True there is that ugly blight, compared to the rest of the land, on that long expanse but he's now begging for people to buy it, the economy tanked, no one is buying anyhow and he's stuck!  He pretty much let his greed eat him up!  and now he's eating crow!  No one wants to have any dealing with him on that property! 


Greed.  if you can't be thankful for what you have, then you might find out, holding out for more- just might turn out to be a whole lot less.