Little bird

Yesterday I went to visit a possible new property. It’s a 16-plex, and it’s a reach for me to go for it. Reaches are good – they challenge us to further growth.

We are still looking at the numbers to see if it would be a good deal, but at first glance, it looks to be.

The property is deserted and in disrepair. Many of the doors are open, so access to the units was easy. I was surprised to see that everything hadn’t been stripped, although there were used condoms around, so I knew that the building was being accessed and used. That’s actually a good sign, that everything hadn’t been stolen, even though folks obviously had access.

The way it was situated, there is a center courtyard area around the two-bedroom units, and as soon as I entered that area, I heard the screeching of a grackle, and then saw a baby bird (most likely a grackle given its color and markings) on the ground. I realized that the grackle was trying to keep me away from the baby, and I knew if I had touched it, the baby would be killed.

As I looked around, I saw that three of its siblings had died at the base of the tree before they had even developed feathers, and at least two eggs had been broken on the ground. I wondered if they had been forced from their nest or if they had simply fallen and not been able to survive. I looked at this new little life bouncing around the base of the tree and I wondered about its chances of survival. Would those grackles feed it and spare its life? Or would he be yet another tragedy of the times?

I debated whether I should try to catch him and take him home, but I knew I didn’t have the skills to do so. In the end, I left him alone and prayed for the best.

I am leaning towards buying that property. Oh, they say we shouldn’t buy from our hearts, but that little bird was an omen to me; even when all appears destroyed, there is a life longing to be lived. The building deserves a new life, and I can provide it.

And so, my heart has already decided. Now to see if the numbers say what I hope they will.