Oh, the many days I have spent scraping off loose paint and repainting. When you’re in the middle of restoration you begin to build a very personal relationship with your house. That critical eye that sees all that is wrong, crooked, dented, or crumbling away. Even a simple job that you start with thinking “I can just repaint this” brings up the past dents and drips as you move forward.
One day I was at a point where I just wanted one room to be at least close to complete. I craved just one room where I could at least sit and look around in the peace of some accomplishment. I needed one room where I could realize, this is possible, and I’m going to get it all done…. some day.
I was literally sitting on the floor, lost in thought, when I came across another dent. My first thought was, “are you serious, how did a dent get here?” Instead of thinking about how I was going to repair or cover this up I had a total mind flip. If you’ve never had a mind flip, it’s where you are going along thinking your same thoughts and then, eureka your view changes.
It was at that point that I stopped looking at every dent as damaged and realized, every dent has a story. I would look at a chip knocked off of a door and think, “I wonder if this is when…” You see, the Bank’s house was a home for generations of family. People lived here, worked here, laughed here, and cried here. For over one hundred years they were experiencing what all families do in a home, they were living. When I think about the tales I’ve been told of climbing on the roof or over the railing I begin to see children being children. The rectangle cut out of the bottom of a door (although repaired) had at one point a purpose. So many dents and so many stories.
Now when I look at this old house I appreciate the dents, cracks, and wonkiness that makes this home special. I just try to let my mind move to the story of home and family and life.
(This blog was written during the middle of renovations. Although the much of the character remains the home is now renovated for guests.) Mary
