Outside In

"Houses are a lot like women." I confidently told my wife as we left the first of three showings we went on last night with our Real Estate agent. We are looking for a new home and it has become an activity that affords us plenty of time for lively debate.

"How so?" She asked with a tender smile. A smile that told me I was on shaky ground but because I am loved so much I have a surprising amount of latitude, especially when it comes to my typical off the wall statements.

"Well some, like the one we just saw, are remarkably eye catching on the outside. They draw you in immediately. Considered graceful and attractive, they look well taken care of, and not ostentatious." She remained quiet so I continued. "But, as we have seen, on the inside things can be a bit of a mess. The result of neglect and loss of love they now require major reconstruction, which means a surprising amount of time and investment." I paused briefly before adding, "Like a prom queen ten years removed from her crown. One who has lost her self-esteem and confidence after years of being taken for granted."

"Others are less appealing on the first glance. They don't stand out in a crowd. But, behind closed doors are filled with rooms wide and deep with incomparable worth. Space that is unique and individual, but with plenty of desire to fit you in and give you a place you can be safe and secure."

"Never to be discovered unless someone took the time to look." She said, finishing my sentence.

"Exactly."

Because C.S. Lewis had it right. "We are far too easily pleased." Sometimes so much so that we fool ourselves into thinking we have found what we are looking for long before we even begin to search. That can be applied to dating relationships, the work we do for a living, the dreams we choose to dream. A trap everyone falls into, regardless of age.

I recently found out that my niece is a voracious reader. She sits for hours quietly turning pages, dancing joyfully through brand new worlds. That is why I am confident that although she doesn't believe me now, she will find out that Nancy Drew does solve an occasional mystery with the Hardy Boys. Her distaste for boys won't prevent her from discovering the truth. A truth that she won't miss because she is taking the journey.

So, like women and houses, taking a second look is about taking chances. It's about taking the time to find out about the pieces that make up the whole. Time and investment in either isn't a bad thing, but you should always take stock in what you have and what you might be required to bring out of your own resources to make such an endeavor work. Because the goal in the end is to take a house and make it a home; or find a woman and make her your wife.

"Or a man and make him a husband." She said. "What you are saying works both ways."

"Exactly."