A Digital Birdie Told Me.
My wife and I were considering moving to West Virginia. The state is the only one fully encompassed within the Appalachian Mountains, and we love mountains. A prior assignment gave us the opportunity to explore many local gems. Dolly Sods Wilderness was especially memorable because it had signs posted that read, “If you didn’t drop it, don’t pick it up.” The location was a WWII testing site, and according to local news, an unexploded ordnance was found as recently as last year. Luckily, we didn’t see the sign until after we finished our day hike, or it might have otherwise tainted the wonderful nature experience we had.
The Green Bank Observatory offers another unique experience in West Virginia. The town is designated a quiet zone, which prohibits the use of certain electrical equipment within a ten-mile radius to prevent interference with the observatory’s instruments. During our visit, an employee explained that the local school system cannot use Wi-Fi; all internet connections must be hard-wired. Cell phones are also unusable because laws prevent the construction of nearby cell towers, and employees are not permitted to use microwaves. It feels like a journey back in time.
The state’s welcome sign proclaims it is ‘Wild and Wonderful,’ and our past experiences confirmed this. When a job opportunity arose in West Virginia, we had to consider it. We enlisted a local real estate agent and began our search. There were multiple options, but many didn’t meet all our must-have requirements. The agent was incredibly patient, sticking with us as we explored various counties and viewed many houses. During a drive to see one of the locations, we had already decided it probably wasn’t suitable. The overall picture didn’t align with what we were looking for, but my wife suggested we check it out anyway. Upon arrival, the agent tried to open the house’s combination lockbox, but it didn’t work. She asked me to try, but I didn’t have any luck either. I attempted a few more times, still unsuccessful. The agent then began calling the listing agent to verify the lock combination, but I stopped her, explaining we weren’t interested in that house and gave my reasons. She responded to my comment, and we continued our search. When we reached our next viewing, the agent was on the phone, so we waited. Her annoyed expression made it clear the call wasn’t going well. After some eye rolls, hand gestures, and stomping, the call ended.
Apparently, the owners of the previous house heard our conversation about not wanting to see the house via their doorbell camera. They were offended by what was said, and our agent heard all about it, and then some, from their agent. A digital bird had ratted us out.
“Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for a bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell the matter.” Ecclesiastes 10:20
Do you have an example of how this verse would have benefited you?
