THE REAL AMY
Mostly about Real Estate.
Or me. Or what I'm into.
But entirely real.
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So, in case you haven’t met him—please allow me to introduce Kristian Anderson. I first saw him on one of Oprah’s shows taped in Australia (if it’s not yet obvious that I’m a raging Oprah nerd—let it be clear—I am). She introduced Kristian and his wife Rachel, an Aussie couple who were struggling with Kristian’s battle with cancer; it was exquisitely heartbreaking and part of the segment included this video that Kristian made for Rachel. For her birthday. Stumbling across this video for the first time in a year, I was curious to know how Kristian is doing. Turns out, he passed away less than a month ago. I’m so grateful he chose to share his heart in a way that we could all be blessed by.
Rachel’s Birthday Video from Kristian Anderson on Vimeo.
Real HERO | Kristian Anderson
I imagine that if you were to move the POV down about 10 inches from the ground, this is sort of what Lilah (my French Bulldog) sees at the dog park. Though—she does get significantly closer to sniff, as she has a smooshed face (before you get concerned, fret not—she was born that way). She has to get right smack up in whatever it is to smell it. Might be challenging for the camera to focus—who’s to say. In the meantime—some brilliant guy has outfitted his dog with a video cam and crafted this beautifully edited video to remind us all why dogs are such an amazing blessing to the world. Even (especially) when they stick their face in everything.
Real FUN | Dog’s Eye View
Majora Carter is the kind of woman I aspire to be. She’s brilliant, articulate and has guts. And a passion to serve something greater than herself. Plus, she’s living proof that something beautiful + vibrant can grow out of blight and neighborhoods most of us would rather forget about (if we even knew they existed at all). I was struck by her authenticity and story—and how she calls out Al Gore (respectfully) to his face.
Real INSPIRING | Green The Ghetto
I know. Am I a band promoter or a Realtor? Apparently both. But I can’t not share this with you. Brian Fallon, the brilliant singer of one of my favorite bands (The Gaslight Anthem), has recently released an album from his side project The Horrible Crowes. And, well…I’ve been playing it over and over. So—it only seemed right to share. Here’s a recent performance at the Troubadour that I’m terribly sad I missed.
Real FUN | The Horrible Crowes
Out last night to see my beloved Imagine Dragons perform in LA, I arrived early enough to catch the opening British band Rubber Kiss Goodbye. I’m sharing an acoustic version of their song Tragedy Radio, my favorite of the night. Turns out, the drummer is Tara Ferry, who may or may not be tired of constantly being cited as Bryan Ferry’s son (he is and can be seen in the video behind his Dad on Dad’s home page). And front man Oliver Thompson apparently plays guitar for Bryan Ferry and Roxy Music (he’s in said BF video as well). Set all that aside—they’re a solid band that were fun to watch. I pretty much fell in love with this song 20 seconds in. Enjoy!
Real FUN | Rubber Kiss Goodbye
Real HERO | Ryan Pretner
Ryan with his two beautiful children and wife Sylvia; back on the bike
Meet my friend Dana’s brother, Ryan. The fact that he’s alive is a testament to not only Ryan’s unbelievable will and strength, but also to the bottomless well of love and support from his family and friends. Of course it’s really much more than that—but words don’t always lend themselves to describing such miracles.
On Jan. 12, 2009, Ryan—an avid cyclist—was riding along a major street in Las Vegas (where he lives), when the side-view mirror of a truck clipped him on the back of the head. While it was a tragic accident—everything changed in an instant.
After sustaining such a traumatic brain injury, Ryan’s had to learn all over again how to talk, walk and do pretty much all the things we take for granted doing on a daily basis. It’s the kind of thing that would make many people crumble inside themselves or simply give up.
But Ryan doesn’t roll that way. And neither do his family and friends. If anything, this experience seems to have deepened their love and galvanized them into action—as evidenced by the passage of a new law that will make the roads safer for other cyclists.
Real INSPIRING | Saving Lives After Death
This is a story I’ve been following since March—thanks to Operation Gratitude.
Combat veteran Sgt. Jake Chadwick received devastating news this past year, shortly after the birth of his daughter Ella—his kidney was failing and he needed a transplant.
Sgt. Jake Chadwick, wife Victoria, and daughter Ella Marie.
Given his blood type, the average wait for someone in his situation was 5 years. That’s when he and his wife, Victoria, struck out on their own to find a donor—utilizing social media and their network of friends and family. Prayers were answered this past week when Jake underwent surgery to receive his new kidney; an incredible gift from another young Marine, 2nd. Lt. Patrick Wayland, of Midland, Texas. Patrick, just 24 years old, suffered heart failure and irreversible damage to his brain, during a survival training exercise. It was his wish to have his organs donated; his family’s wish was that they go to other military members.
Jake Chadwick was just one who received Patrick’s gift, there were 4 others as well. It’s hard to imagine the loss the Wayland family has experienced, nor what their lives will be like going forward. But, they’ve shared a moving tribute to their son and how proud they are of his final wish to serve others.
2nd Lt. Patrick Wayland with family.
It appears that Jake is recovering well from his transplant surgery and will soon be medically retired. While the future may be uncertain, his goal is to live his life in honor of the gift Patrick gave him.
Organ donation is something I’m very passionate about and stories like this remind me of why it’s so important to discuss with your family. To learn more about becoming an organ donor (California Residents click here), please find links to your state’s registry here.
If you were to ask me what the most important aspect of my job as a Realtor is—I would say listening. While it may sound trite or mundane—listening really is an art, which is why I loved this recent piece from TED by Julian Treasure. My favorite quote from Mr. Treasure? “I believe every human being needs to listen consciously to live fully.” Well said, sir. I learned some new things by watching—my hope is you will too. If you’re listening.
Real INSPIRING | Listening Consciously
Ah, what DON’T I love about this? Absolutely beautiful. Great example of the magical work that Story Corps does; I highly recommend checking out the other videos they offer.
Danny Perasa and his wife, Annie, came to StoryCorps to recount their twenty-seven-year romance. As they remember their life together from their first date to Danny’s final days with terminal cancer, these remarkable Brooklynites personify the eloquence, grace, and poetry that can be found in the voices of everyday people when we take the time to listen.
Real INSPIRING | Story Corps
I first heard about this story on my friend John Jenkins’ blog—and was captivated from the start. For those of you who haven’t heard about Vivian Maier; she was a foreign-born Chicago-based Nanny who happened to have a passion for photographing her everyday environment. The remarkable thing about Vivian was that she was as talented as she was humble. No one really knew the depth of her talent until a young 20-something named John Maloof stumbled across her entire archive of work by accident. Can’t wait for the release of the upcoming documentary about it.
Trailer: Finding Vivian Maier from John Maloof on Vimeo.