Flea Markets, Dating and Househunting, too

I wrote in an earlier post about the similarities of midlife dating and finding the right home ( May 21, An Interesting Comparison.)
Now one of my favorite bloggers, Dating Goddess, has written a comparison of dating over 40 to garage sale shopping. She says that while some midlife daters are “brand new” — never married — most have been “used.” Some have been “gently used” meaning their last relationship(s) ended with a positive feeling, not having been mistreated. A house that is newly built may have some great features, but may also hide construction flaws. Sometimes, "gently used" is preferable.

Sometimes we find a gem at a garage sale that is slightly scratched or in need of minor repair. These are overlooked by others because they don’t want to take the time and care to polish the item to its former luster. She says that many midlife men are like this. They’ve had their hearts broken or were treated badly by a woman — or women — but with gentle care, you can repair those minor cracks or gently sand away those scars. They just need a little TLC to shine again. A house in need of cosmetic repair can be just right for you, too.

And then there are the faded treasures that need a lot of refurbishing to make the piece/man/ house sparkle once again. Some shoppers pass on these, knowing they don’t want to put in that kind of time and work with no guarantee that the end product will be as magnificent as they hope. Others love the challenge and jump at the opportunity to apply their skills to help make this prize glisten. This is the fixer-upper house that can be the true "find" for an ambitious buyer.