Life as a House

I've been terrible on my blogging (and my running) lately, but here is a little thought since I'm awake at 3:30 in the morning. You all know I've been trying out online dating and have had hits/misses, ups/downs, and am still looking (although not online anymore - 6 months was enough for me!) There are definitely some potentials in the mix, but the jury is still out, and I'm not settling for anything less than the best because if there is one thing I've learned over the years, it's that I am deserving of someone who sees my inner beauty and doesn't take it for granted.

Recently a friend of mine told me that dating was like house shopping. Everyone goes through numerous walk throughs to try to find the perfect one. They check out the bathrooms, the flooring, the fixtures, woodwork, closets, parking, outdoor space, etc. until they find the right match for them. Often we make an offer that gets rejected and it hurts because we got excited about the house and slightly attached even though we never lived in it. Sometimes a buyer makes an offer on a house when the seller is still taking walk throughs and wasn't ready to sell. Sometimes we make offers and settle in only to realize that the house wasn't what we thought, and that it had a lot more problems that were too much to fix or that needed someone with a special touch to fix.

I like this idea a lot, because it helps put perspective on the hard times I've had with dating over the years. I'm going to add to that and say that not only is dating like house shopping, but people are like houses. They start out all brand new and shiny with everything working perfectly, but over the years, start to get banged up a bit and need some maintenance. Sometimes the people who move into the houses abuse them or mistreat them, or sometimes they just neglect them and so the house needs some TLC to fix them up. Other houses get taken care of properly for a long time and take for granted when someone really special wants to move in and overlooks them because there are so many other houses out there. Sometimes the houses actually get better with time, and maybe just need a little dusting off and cosmetic improvements -- like an old Victorian. Some may see the house as intimidating and think maybe they are afraid to invest the time in the house because they've done that before only to realize it wasn't the right house. However, under all the dust could be a beautiful patina that has developed over time which could easily be missed by one if they don't take the time to look.

So, to all you houses on the market out there, try to take care of yourself and find someone who sees your patina and dusts it off! And remember, not all offers are final until the closing so keep on shopping but don't get so caught up in the hunt that you miss the one that might not be all shiny and perfect, but is just right for you.

Happy House Hunting!