Slow down. Take your time. Relax, enjoy as what follows soaks you like a warm rain or the treat of a long, hot shower…

The flick starring Madonna, Body of Evidence, was for its time, ahem…racy.

Even the singer's name was meant to be edgy.

Many saw Madonna's bold attempt to coop the Virgin Mary's name – whom over a billion and a half believers see as the mother of Jesus Christ – as a seemingly polar opposite abuse of one by the other. We'll see who get's the last laugh on that, but none of these are the body of evidence we manufactured home pros and aficionados are going to consider here today.

There are those who use news stories of old mobile homes burning down in minutes, or pre-HUD Code (and often unanchored) mobile homes blowing over in a tornado as part of their 'body of evidence' against us.

We industry pros have our own body of evidence, plenty of proof that we have a great product, an amazing value and it serves 20 plus million Americans well.

We can do better at responding to our critics!

So what has to happen? A two word summary will cap that question, embedded in the slow, deliberate warm rain that follows.

Apathy, Haters and the Jealous vs. the ever-growing "We Can Do It!" Crowd

In a way, the haters or the jealous I can better understand than the apathetic.

We have all seen how short a distance it can be between the emotions of hate and love.

One might argue that just as God's rival, the fallen angel Lucifer, went from love to hate in a flash, so too that kind of transformation can occur with us mortals. An aggrieved spouse or friend can go from warm to cold in a moment, under "the wrong" circumstances.

The reverse is also true. It isn't just in junior high school where the hater can be turned into the secret admirer, friend or even may come to love the one previously "loathed."

'Hatred,' or other negative emotions, are often a disguise for something else – like envy? – and they're not necessarily permanent. Ever have someone misunderstand, try to demean or coop your good work? Your body of evidence?

If you do good work, sure you have.

In many professional cases, we can't focus on the jealous or haters. They will be there. Expect them. The haters are your indirect witnesses to the body of evidence that shows how a task, mission or project can get done!

Over time, people often figure out if something or someone delivers good results, or just delivers excuses. But if we fail to tell our story, or fail to tell it well, than we can be drowned out by the negative voices out there.

Such is the kind of emotional challenge we manufactured housing pros face daily,

• the ignorant,
• _{the mean-spirited,}
• the fearful (or merely jealous) haters,
• those with a secret or obvious agenda of their own that they perceive to be at odds with ours industry,
• those who say "it sounds too good to be true,"

all these and more need some jujitsu epiphany that flips them from enemy to ally.

For or Against Us: Manufactured Housing's Body of Evidence

Manufactured housing has a body of evidence. Even our industry's so-called sad stories are frankly not so sad at all, when seen in their proper light.

Homes built decades ago – outgrowths of what today we see as RV-style travel trailers, those less "temporary" pre-HUD Code "mobile homes" – often lasted far longer than expected!

Yes, we may have some 2 million old "mobile homes" still around, but they ought to be admired like the old Timex watch that takes a licking and is still ticking.

Sadly, we've allowed ourselves to be defined by those negative stereotypes about older pre-HUD code mobile homes – some of which were good! – but others which may have had aluminum wiring, thin insulation, spongy floors and 2×2 exterior walls.

That's as foolish as letting an old punch-card style WANG computer define modern computers. Those WANGs were needed, to get us to where we are today. Those mobile homes evolved into the modern manufactured homes we can be proud of today.

The RV MH Hall of Fame

As in so may aspects of life, some politics has gone into the RV MH Hall of Fame (HOF) over the years. So what? The majority of those inducted into the Hall deserve our admiration! The HOF is in my mind one of the keys to the future growth of our Industry.

We love to support the Hall, enjoy the annual induction dinner, and encourage everyone who is in the industry to make the trip to the HOF at least one time! Frankly, having gone more than once, each time brings new insight, pleasure and inspiration.

The history found in the Hall, if we tell that tale well, is going to be part of the fuel for the future of our industry.

Does the HOF matter? You bet it does. It is part of our industry's great 'body of evidence.'

Knowingly or not, we stand on the shoulders or women and men who led the way to our days of glory. Properly understood and presented, their story is a building block for future growth.

We tell those and other stories here through interviews, videos and articles!

For every whiner out there with something negative to say, let's stop and think, what is their motive or agenda? Some want to distract others from the truth, some are merely envious, some fear what would happen if the sleeping giant of manufactured housing is awakened.

America needs manufactured and modular homes. Now, more than ever!

Barry Cole, the Chairman of the Hall of Fame is himself being inducted in August. He deserves it! We will do A Cup of Coffee with…Barry Cole, only it won't be coffee in his mug…err…glass! You'll see Barry's interview live on our home page as a July Featured article.

Historic!

There is a historic element to what Barry has to say. It is Soooooo important, I fear that only a few would grasp its significance, so I'm telling you right now, don't just look at what Barry wrote – which is entertaining and insightful by itself. Look closely at the download that comes with his interview!

The powers that be ought to grab that download and run to DC and their state capitals, a reminder from the past with important lessons – and opportunities! – for today.

Thought Leadership

We don't usually tell our writers what to write about, which makes the upcoming July array of articles line up in amazing ways!

• Want to see new manufactured home communities developed?
• Want to see respect for manufactured housing grow?
• Would you like to see the old pre-HUD Code mobile homes get retired, and see new Energy Star homes take their place?
• Do you want to see trade shows like Louisville and Tunica grow bigger and better than they already are today?
• Do you want to see Manufactured Home sales and profits rise faster?

Then you have come to the right place. It will all be here at MHProNews.com and/or on our public focused sister site, ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com.

Don't hide the knowledge and inspiration!

I hate to say that some managers, execs and owners perplex me. They seem to think that keeping their people in the dark is okay, that only they need to be informed. Huh?

In the military, do you want only the sergeants and NCOs to know how to fight and win?

Aren't the skills for success necessary for the widest possible numbers of service personnel?

The reason that knowledge is only POTENTIAL power is because it is much like a light switch. Flip the switch to off, and the lights go dark. Don't share the knowledge, and your team is in the DARK.

Don't expect people kept in the dark to grow.

YOU and your ASSOCIATES and your TEAM should all be on our email list, and should all be reading no less than 15 minutes a day here. Recall the mantra: Learn, earn, return.

Thousands are coming here daily. That's great! We had a record number of page views in June 2014, up some 30% over May, that's great too! Sources tell me we have many times the readers of all the other like resources combined. We have to state that “sources say” because others stopped publishing their numbers, if they shared them before.  By contrast, we publish and update you on ours.

But the sad fact is that we are still just scratching the surface. We must share knowledge as broadly and as deeply as possible.

You could have a team with the equivalent of a bachelors degree in manufactured housing if they INVESTED a minimum 15 minutes a day here at MHProNews.com, and 7 minutes daily on ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.com.

Education is an investment, which begins with the simple investment of time, dedication and follow through.

We have the growing body of evidence for Manufactured Housing right here on MHProNews and on our growing sister site, ManufacturedHomeLivingNews.

Associations, experts and pros share with us, we in turn share back with you.

We have been gathering and established the MHIndustry's largest body of evidence. We'll keep publishing and adding to that for you and thousands of others so long as circumstances allow us to do so.  We will come up on our 5th anniversary in a few months, and the rate of our progress is accelerating, thanks to those who lend their expertise and/or support what we do.

Please thank our writers and sponsors when you see them. If you need a website, professional services or marketing, please email or give us a call, that is how we pay our bills, so we can continue to serve you. Book your next flight, or buy that next online product in our online MH Store, you'll get the same – or better deal – you would elsewhere, and you'll be dropping a few dimes or a dollar toward our cause, which in turn boosts your cause.

We support you, and your support helps us to keep doing more.  Together, we advance the largest and ever-growing pro-MH body of evidence.

We deliver the Industry News, Tips and Views Pros Can Use.

We deliver Innovation, Inspiration and Information for Industry Professionals.

On our sister site, we've started the MHIndustry's leading image and educational platform.

Together, we are creating a body of evidence for the future of our industry. Events are important, we go, we believe! But more than 5 times as many good folks like you logon here DAILY as attended this past Congress and Expo in three days!

Live events and digital media are both needed, each one ideally feeds the other.  To see our new improved twice weekly email news letter, click here. To sign up get them free in your inbox in seconds, click here. What another publisher might charge hundreds of dollars a year for, you get more and better here, all free.

The two word summary? Enhancing professionalism.

Standing Room Only during 2014 Louisville Show Seminars

We may not be as racy as Madonna, that's okay, because we do spice things up in a positive, professional way that can advance your career, location and organization!

We look forward to sharing with you anew next week, when the new additions to our body of evidence for a brighter future is showcased in our White, Blue and READ HOT July 2014 issue! ##

(Image credits as shown, including MHProNews, WikiCommons and DVD cover = MGM.)