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I don't often tweet about my personal tribulations, but here we go. Buckle up for some schadenfreude.
I don't often tweet about my personal tribulations, but here we go. Buckle up for some schadenfreude.
Earlier this week, I prerecorded a panel about lawyers and social media. We talked about the balance between boosting one's profile and managing one's reputation. I spoke about the importance of curating one's feed and being deliberate about posting.
With all of that, I forgot to mention the golden rule... don't compare your behind the scenes to everyone else's highlight reel.
In the spirit of being open about failure and rejection, I share the following story:
In the spirit of being open about failure and rejection, I share the following story:
As some of you know, there was a fire in my building back in April. I will be out of a place to live come October. There's something ironic about a landlord/tenant lawyer being so precariously housed. (It's v scary to consider that many are in worse situations, with less buffer.)
And here's where the emotional roller coaster goes off the rails.
Found perfect unit (storefront + living area) in my ideal neighbourhood (Kensington)... great rapport with the owners... thought the deal was done, only to have the landlord--also a lawyer--express fear in case "relations for any reason conceivable [were] to become adversarial."
He added: "We are extremely vulnerable relative to the institutional landlords you do such an amazing job helping your clients deal with."
Fair enough. I point out that I represent small landlords as well, and that my credibility would be ruined if I misbehaved as a tenant.
Fair enough. I point out that I represent small landlords as well, and that my credibility would be ruined if I misbehaved as a tenant.
I also mention that (having seen all sides of conflict with regard to housing) I would NEVER want to entertain a landlord/tenant dispute in my personal life. No thank you. I fight like hell for my clients, which leaves me no energy or inclination to wage battles on my own behalf.
Today, the owner accepted a deposit from someone else. It's a real bummer. My vision of opening a small second office and living in the market went up in smoke.
You'd think I'd have learned by now that 2020 is the year of turmoil and dashed dreams.
You'd think I'd have learned by now that 2020 is the year of turmoil and dashed dreams.
I wouldn't be as sour if I had left the viewing with the impression that the owner was weighing options. Instead, it was clearly conveyed that the place was 100% mine for the taking. Recognizing I'm not *entitled* to the unit, it still hurts when the rug is pulled by surprise.
What sucks is that I got passed over because I've had some modest success with what I do. Apparently this made the owner insecure?
I am upset that I feel punished for working hard and building a name for myself, despite the odds.
I am upset that I feel punished for working hard and building a name for myself, despite the odds.
Still, this is a helpful reminder that things don't always go as planned, even with our best efforts and intentions. There is a lesson here about keeping one's chin up, and not getting bogged down by rejection and 'what ifs'.
Life goes on.
Life goes on.
So... does anyone have a space I can rent? I'm flexible! We can definitely add a term to the lease that stops me from writing Twitter threads.
