The Initiator
James Griffin’s statement caused me to be prodded. My memory was nudged. I was suddenly talking to a friend, Mark Pugmire, again in reminiscence, as he mentioned that our mutual friend, John, was wondering why I hadn’t called him for quite some time. My many-years-ago response, “You know, he has a telephone too. He can call me!”
Not long after shooting-off that cheeky rejoinder, my telephone rang. You guessed it. It was my friend John Italasano. He began with, “Mark wouldn’t tell me what you said exactly, but I’ll bet it was something like, ‘forget him, he can call me as easily as I can call him. If he wants to talk with me he can call me.’ So, I’m calling you!”
John’s call made me laugh and feel ashamed at the same time. It made me laugh because he knew me well enough to feel self-assured as to what my response to Mark had been. It made me feel ashamed because, how hard would it have been for me to touch my phone as a small gesture to connect with a friend, with whom I had shared my life with for so long. And, James’ auspicious teaching instilled his little incident forward to this now-moment, about thirty-five years later.
“I don’t mind being the initiator,” James explained, while sharing his approach to “relationship-farming” more than business. He was kindly tutoring through example as he delineated his approach to building relationships and how it enhances everyday living.
Building strong personal relationships is squarely situated in the heart of his life. In fact, it is his purpose. James calls it purposeful living. He wants to know what makes his friends tick. What inspires them. What drives them. He believes in creating relationships around the passions of those he associates with. He has a talent for melding with others.
James says, “living well today translates into living well tomorrow, too.”
He wants to help everyone he meets to build a brighter future. He’s always thinking about today’s relationships, as well as those generations to come. I call him a quiet, loving legacy builder.
James calls his approach to life "working the soil."
“I don’t mind being the initiator,” James said as my memory dissolved into the present again. I had finished mind-jogging and was now sitting in appreciative awe at James, “The Initiator!”
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I’m Lynn Butterfield, Real Estate & Lifestyle Expert and Television Host for American Dream TV in Northwest Arkansas. I’ve helped hundreds of Buyers and Sellers, as a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, to discover where and how they want to live and work; to achieve what I call Realesation™. That’s why I bring you American Dream TV, Both Sides of the Fence, About the Dish, Monday’s Warm Cocoa and Home by Design Magazine to stir your heart and mind. Contact me so I can join you along your own unique path of discovery.
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