I read another member's comment, *"Be careful of who you choose to be your instructor. Some of life's most costly lessons are expensive,"* I nodded my head. At my age, I have learned there is a lot of wisdom in that simple statement.

It made me curious, so I spent some time reading about an instructor or some teachings I found to be questionable. One article in particular caught my attention, though I cannot say I was surprised by what I read.

According to the article, a member of the Board of Health and Safety in his jurisdiction described this gentleman as "the landlord that has come before us the most because of code enforcement issues". The board member later said: "...because of the pattern and because of the replication of this going on, I'm taking the stance that I'm against waiving (his) fine, and I will be voting that way. I think the fine needs to be enforced. I'm only sorry it couldn't be the original amount."

The article also mentioned that the property being discussed was considered by some officials to be among the worst they had ever seen. "Deplorable" was used often.

When I was younger, I sometimes assumed that people who spoke confidently must know what they were doing. After many years, I have learned to look at actions more than words. Before accepting someone as a teacher or mentor, I think it is wise to take a careful look at their track record and public record.

Sometimes we learn from good examples. Other times, the lesson comes from seeing the consequences of poor decisions. Both can be valuable if we are paying attention.

www.therepublic.com/2023/06/30/board-takes-action-on-several-homes