Members Only

I wonder if you clicked on this post thinking that it referred to the "Members Only" setting for blog posts.  Well, I'll get to that in a minute, but first I wanted to talk about the 80's mystique of Members Only jackets.  I was talking to my wife Pam about these jackets earlier today.  I remember distinctly that this was a highly desirable fashion item when I was in middle school, and I had one that looked precisely like the one pictured to the right.  And why not?  As Pam pointed out (please remember to always use proper footnoting in comedy), these awesome articles of clothing were:

• Not warm
• Not attractive
• Wildly overpriced

It certainly sounds like the recipe for success to me!  Add in a catchy and exclusive-sounding name, and you are in business!  In doing some "research" (five seconds on Google), I realized that they are still selling these beauties. 

In addition to the awesome bullet list above, you can add in the fact that they have EPAULETS on the shoulders.  They also have a really attractive "faux Nehru" collar that buttons right across your Adam's apple if you are a dude.  Shiny fabric, banded elastic waist, inability to properly protect you from the elements, what more could you possibly need?  Can you find a better jacket?  I submit that you cannot.

By the way, can someone explain to me why the epaulets could be unbuttoned but not detached?  This seems especially odd.  I remember that people used to unbutton these just to irritate each other.

In an effort to be even more self-aware, I wanted to point out that the title of this post made me laugh.  When I post this, it should say "Members Only (Members Only)" as if only members are allowed to discuss this apparel. 

Although these jackets were all the rage in 1982, I think most people would now be content (maybe not environmentally) if huge piles of them were burned in effigy.  The same goes for plenty of out-of-vogue clothing. 

OKAY.  I got that out of my system.  Now I would like to address something that has been on my mind lately.  My AR friend Katerina Gasset was kind enough to point out to me that one of my posts which was marked "Members Only" (Cake in One Hand, Eating it in the Other Hand - You Must Choose!) was similar to something that she had written publicly.  She also told me that she had a client who appreciated the honesty that it represented in her case, and suggested that I make more of my posts "Public".  I took her advice and changed some of them that very day. 

I should have learned my lesson on this when this happened to me:

39 Days in the Rain and I am Writing an Offer Already!

My advice for anyone reading this is to consider which things you are hiding from the public.  Are you hiding your light under a bushel?  I can say that any clients who have read my blog know me very well before we even meet face-to-face.  Talk about an easy sale!  Can you say the same for your blog?  It is wonderful and encouraged to write real estate posts, but spice it up with some personal or at least interesting stories. 

As I mentioned earlier on Paul Slaybaugh's featured post, I am currently the "Most Subscribed" blogger for AR in Texas.  I can assure you that it doesn't come from my real estate data or market reports.  I can also state with some measure of confidence that there are a lot of people here who would refer their clients to me in a heartbeat if given the chance. 

SHAMELESS PLUG ALERT: Take a minute or two and look around my blog.  See what you can find that makes people want to read more.  I have an idea, because people tell me. 

Just some food for thought on a Saturday night.  Please feel free to ask any questions or make any enlightening comments below.  Thanks for reading this one!

EDITED: Since several people asked how to find their status with regard to subscribers, I thought it would a good idea to put it in the body of the post itself.  In order to find out where you stand in your state in comparison to others' blogs, you can visit this page:

http://activerain.com/topbloggers - This is the Top 100 List (I am at #18 presently).  Once you are on this page, click on your state to see where you stand currently there.