My SEO ? or Low Hanging fruit !

890 followers

5 years ago

This is a funny story from my past. When I was a young boy we played tag, kick the can, hide-and-seek, climbed trees, made forts, played baseball, soccer and looked for really good cherry trees ! Actually any low hanging fruit would have done but cherries were are favorite.

I still love cherries today and every summer I buy bags of them when there in season.

When we were kids we knew every cherry tree within a 6 block radius of our home but there was one tree nobody could get a cherry from. All the kids in the area would drool at these sweet bing cherries surrounded by a 7-foot fence and the owner was a mean old lady.

Some kids tried many times to ask the old lady if they could pick the fruit but were always met with disappointment. So year after year the cherries would rot on the tree oh, and eaten by the birds.

Then, one year when I was about 8 or 9 years old and started to wonder why was the mean old lady not letting us pick the cherries, why ? There had to be a reason were we too rude when we were asking her, was it the way we picked the cherries ?

Then it dawned on me of course that's probably the reason, it's got to be ! I remembered watching some kids climbing a tree one day in the past and they were having a ball but they were making a mess. There were broken branches all over the ground and leaves and they were loud. When they left they didn't clean up there mess !

So, I wondered if I could reassure this old lady that I would clean up after I left and would not be noisy and she would not even know I had been there just maybe she would let me pick some of those juicy cherries !

The next day before noon I headed over to the old lady's house, I only lived a few blocks away but the walk there seemed very long as I was practicing what I was going to say. When I got to the house I had to reach way up to unlatch her side gate, she was always in her basement, we never saw her upstairs.

There in front of me was this beautiful cherry tree bursting with cherries ready for the picking, the grass and the flowers were in immaculate condition. I had my work cut out for me I better be good.

I went to the basement door and knocked lightly almost hoping she was not there . Suddenly a voice it was the old lady in an angry voice whose there ! I swallowed and said it's John Pavich your neighbor down the street. What do want was her reply in a gruff voice ! In what it seemed was one breath I stated.

Well you know you have the most beautiful cherry tree in all the neighborhood and every year the cherries just rot from the tree but if you let me pick a few I promise I will pick up any leaves or twigs that may fall on the ground and will not make any noise and you won't even know I was here if I can just pick a few cherries.

There was about a 10-second delay then all of a sudden she opened the door and looked me up and down quickly, I was just wearing my favorite army shorts with lots of pockets a t shirt and running shoes. She said you have one hour and that's it no longer ! I was shocked I didn't even bring a bag, I did not think in a million years she would let me pick the cherries. I said could I have a bag ? No bag! was her reply and she slammed the basement door.

Well, well,well I could not believe it, it was just me and this amazing cherry tree on a beautiful summer day. Now being one of the best tree climbers in the area I climbed that tree like a monkey.

We would have contests to see who could climb a tree the fastest and only one older boy ever beat me and that was because I got something in my eye and it slowed me down a second or two, we timed the climb with a watch.

So, there I am basking in this amazing cherry tree eating mouthful after mouthful of cherries and they are as good as they looked all these years, I can still taste them.Apparently they have done studies on memory and your taste and smell are your best memory. Anyway after a while I realized I had better start loading my pockets with cherries cause an hour goes by quickly except in the dentists chair.

After I filled my pockets and I had a lot in my army shorts about eight pockets, what now ?Hey, what about my t shirt, so I stuffed my shirt into my shorts and started to fill it up. In no time I started to look like a pregnant kid.

Then I heard this man's voice directly across the lane, hey your not allowed in that tree ! I laughed and said I have permission to pick for one hour. Really was his reply can I have some no way. He said your very lucky I never see anyone pick those cherries.

Right on the hour I'am sure the old lady was clock watching I heard her voice times up ! I said OK I'am coming down now and there were only a few leaves on the ground so I picked those up and she eyeballed the tree and grounds. I believe I even offered her some cherries but she refused. I thanked her for letting me pick the cherries and with my mouth covered in cherry juice and my t shirt pregnant and pockets bursting I waddled home.

My mother and sister could not believe how good the cherries were and although I picked a lot they went fast.

Now the story dosn't end there, fast-forward about 14 years later I'am in Real Estate and have just gone to a seminar on how to make more sales. At this seminar the man says pass out your business cards to anyone you see, tell them your in the business.

On my way home I thought it's a nice day so every half block or so I'am going to throw one of my cards out the window of my car as I'am driving back to the office, I must have thrown 40 to 50 out the window.

Well about 2 days later I get this call, a man wants to get an estimate on the value of his house. I would always ask how did you get my name. Funny you should mention that I have been thinking of selling my home on a double corner lot and while I was cutting the lawn the other day I found your card on my grass and I thought it must be an omen or something.

So I asked where do you live ? He said first avenue, first avenue and what ? First avenue and Templeton, oh I said I grew up in that area. What side of the street ? North west corner was his reply. Really I said how long have you lived there ? Around 20 years was his reply.

Wow I think I know you does the house behind you still have that amazing cherry tree. No he said the old lady died a few years ago and they built a new home there and took down the tree.Too bad I said that was an amazing tree.

Do you remember a young boy who was probably the only person to ever pick those cherries.

He said yes I remember him but he wouldn't give me some, well that was me John Pavich small world hey, we both had a good laugh.

Later that day I went to see him and we worked out a sale for a builder to buy his home and put up 2 new homes, which are office later sold for a good commission .

He was right the beautiful cherry tree was gone but just like at WA low hanging fruit paid off only in a strange and round about way .

That's my true story of low hanging fruit ha-ha hope you all enjoyed it, just had to get it out there.