Garbage or Potential?

I remember walking through an incredibly old house with my father when I was young. The walls were the old plaster and lathes and coming down. Same with the ceiling. Some really old, stained wall paper covered paint and wallpaper and paint and another layer of wallpaper. The floors were carpet over linoleum over carpet over linoleum over hardwood. But what my dad taught me to see... beautiful finished maple hardwood floors and woodwork framing a soft creamy paint job and built in hardwood bookshelves. Old, original looking archways separating the rooms, and a grand staircase of the same maple.

When I look at the picture above... I see stain glass windows and deep mahogany wood work. I see rows of beautifully etched pews of the same mahogany stain.

One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is to walk up to the local second hand store, often with my daughters. Old clothes and nick-knacks and picture frames and odds and ends fill this room from corner to corner. Old dressers, dressing tables, china hutches - it's all here. And it's all so beautiful. I love buying old clothes - yesterday, I picked up several old heavy flannel shirts - a love of mine since my great uncle gave me one of his over 25 years ago... the summer right before he passed away. Some of what I purchase has stains and holes. But, that's part of what makes it special. I almost bought a set of three plant stands yesterday from this store - they were round, each of a different height, in a deep mahogany. There were chips and scratches on it. But those chips and scratches are actually what made me want to buy it. Chips and scratches and stains and "imperfections" are what make these things beautiful - it's what gives them character.

When you see something like the picture above - do you see something neglected that needs to be torn down and tossed away? Or do you see something beautiful? Something with potential? Something worth your investment?