I have been sitting at the computer for a few minutes this morning, and I haven’t been quite sure what direction I want this article to go as of yet. However, I do need to start typing because the deadline is approaching rapidly. I do wonder why so many people just seem to need chaos and turmoil in their daily lives. I am finding that this is true for many people that I know, both personally and professionally.
September has been a great month for weather, and I have been finding my morning walks and runs to be easier. I am hesitant to enjoy too much, as I know eventually the cold will make them more challenging again. However, that’s the gift of life, as our circumstances and conditions tend to change as often as the weather, if not more. We often believe that things will never get better or believe that they could never be worse, but just as the weather always changes, so do they.
The 9/11 Memorial was held last month, and although we did not have a tremendous turnout, I would like to thank everyone who came to pay their respect to the families and victims. Rich Wagner, who always runs the service, was unable to attend due to some health issues, but will be returning next year. I want to thank him for all of his years of service, and we look forward to having him back next year.
The 2025/2026 Fiscal Year HOA Budget is enclosed in this month’s newsletter for everyone to review. This budget was presented to the community earlier this month, and all questions were answered. I know that nobody wants increases, and I feel the same way. However, we must do what is fiscally responsible for the future success of Bretton Woods.
The annual HOA Elections will have been held by the time everyone reads this article. I would like to personally thank all of them for their hard work this past year and always. I am very grateful for their support year after year. All of them are volunteers and put a tremendous amount of time and energy into making sure Bretton Woods continues to be the oasis of Coram.
As many of the outdoor leagues have ended or will be coming to an end shortly, I would like to thank all of the volunteers who work tirelessly to ensure that all of them are run successfully. As with everything that is made up of many different people, we face challenges. I kindly remind everyone to be respectful to one another when disagreements arise. Sometimes we all forget that we need one another more than we would like to admit.
A very heartfelt thank you to all of the Bretton Woods staff, vendors, and contractors. I know without question that I would have zero success without all of them. Some days, I truly don’t know how we will get everything done before the day ends. Thanks to the amazing support team that surrounds me, we always get everything done that’s humanly possible. We all work very well together, and a significant amount of time and energy is spent to ensure that will always be the case.
I am blessed to have been forced to face my flaws and shortcomings in life more times than most. Viewing oneself honestly and objectively is something that many people avoid throughout their lives. I face myself every day when I look in the mirror, but not as we all do for our morning and nightly routines. I mean, when you stare into your own eyes and try to see what is in your heart.
I would like to believe that I have a big heart and treat everyone with love and kindness, but that’s simply not true. We all have people in our lives who test our patience beyond measure. Those people, who no matter what you do for them, it’s simply never enough. Everything that goes wrong in their lives is the fault of someone else, and they never take any responsibility.
If you constantly play with fire, eventually your hands will get burned.
Now, maybe I am slower than the average bear, as I thought for way too long that if you show people love, kindness, and forgiveness, that eventually their hearts would soften. I have come to realize that some people live off chaos and turmoil, the same way that a car needs fuel to run.
If you have these people in your life, all I can say is stay clear. If you can’t for whatever reason, minimize contact as much as possible. Just like a tornado destroys everything in its path, these people will do the same. The most painful and saddest part is that no consideration is made between friend or foe. All that is considered is destroying whatever and whoever is in the path of their current target. You may be lucky enough to survive a few of these attacks, but know that eventually your luck will run out.
October brings us the following holidays and days of significance: Yom Kippur, Columbus Day, and Halloween.
Craig Pessin- HOA Administrator
Stop thinking that sacrificing your mental well-being and time to help someone who doesn’t want it, is a noble cause. Time is a precious gift and you need to be very careful with who you share that gift with. I hope that we all start being better with who and what we spend our time on. I know that my goal in life is to be a person that people want to be around and believe is a good investment of their time. Ask yourself are you a good investment and if not, what changes do you need to make?
