How Norman Rockwell Can You Get?

My, how time flies, whether or not you are having fun. Some days go by so quickly and others seem to drag. Now that graduations are being commenced and pools are opening and all the reality TV shows are wrapping up another season of stupidity, we are forging once again into a hot, summer time. I treasure those days when the temps are nice - you know - high 70s - breeze blowing just enough to cool and no one really NEEDS any air conditioning.

The other day was a particularly slow leasing day. Hardly any traffic coming through the door and I was happy when someone finally showed up late in the day. It was a great meeting, she was pleasant, seemed happy and excited about the prospect of her first "grown-up" apartment. That's when she asked me, "So, what makes this place so special?"

Funny. I think this is the first time anyone actually outright asked me that. My first response was (and always is tucked somewhere in my "presentation"): "Me. No one cares more about this community than I do." Then it hit me like a ton of bricks and I added, "Well, me AND our Residents."

She kind of smiled and asked what I meant. So, I told her that I thought it was rare that people feel so comfortable here that they decide they WANT to be here. Year after year and not just for one or two people but more and more Residents choose to stay here for five or more years, even when they could buy a house. Of course, she may have thought I was just saying that to make Ashton Glen look inviting, but it is the truth. Just at that moment (and you know the gods don't align like this often), I pointed out the sliding glass door window to the little boy running with his kite across the large green space and I said, "Where else do you see a sight like that? Is there anything more Norman Rockwell than that?"

There are two military families that are shipping out and two more that have already shipped out, I told her. Even though they left or are leaving to attend to duties overseas or in other parts of the United States, two of these families are returning here when they come "home." Home to them means not just the United States, but also this apartment community. Wow. And one of these families is actually paying rent on their apartment while absent. This says it all.