Fixer upper? or Vision

Fixer Uppers?

 This pile of bleacher boards could be???

Definitions:
What does it mean to be a fixer upper?  A handy-man special?  Needing lip-stick and rouge? Looking for attention? Ready for a face-lift? Past it's prime? Ready for re-hab? Rescue? or As-Is?
Potential in...
All these terms speak to a glorious past, an item beyond its useful life span and not quite as good as it was at one time!  Latent in these phrases is a tone or theme of potential, growth, hidden growth or improvements.  We even refer to animals in this light; rescue dog, rescue pet, waiting for a forever home, orphaned or even abandon.
As a couple or team:
Together, Jayne and I often see the projects as wonderful opportunities to renew or recycle something, maybe even making it better than before. We see a finished product that was never there before.  We see shelves when we find a ladder.  Cobwebs look like latent cuteness. We see attractive as we observe the messy.  We see potential when others look at the problems.  Some see work.  We see equity. This is Vision
Vision is...
In the big picture, vision is a form of creation, or re-creations.  By adding energy, time and attention to an older or obsolete object, we build hope!  We inspire potential and drive encouraging commitment and persistence.  It inspires hope that our efforts are not in vain.  It encourages us to look in places that others would ignore, often contrary to traditional wisdom or understanding.
Trends:
The current trend to retro, upcycle and redo demonstrates this hidden urge we all posses as we look through a thrift store, seeking to find that hidden treasure or gem.  Like gambling, there is a thrill to the hunt or the quest.  Like fishing, we don't know what is at the end of our line till we pull it out of the water.   Like painting a room, we aren't sure of the final product till the drop cloths are folded back up and the furniture brought back.  Then, after all the effort, we see clearly the finished masterpiece.

 This finished product came from the boards above!

 Before, and After:
So far, we have been addressing things, items, houses and furniture, even pets and animals.  What other applications are there?  Can we apply these concepts of growth and progress to people, relationships, others or even internally?  Re-purposing or reusing discarded resources also demonstrates our stewardship, and resourcefulness wen it comes to our stuff.  Finding new life and new uses for stale products by investing back into an item inspires us for another application.  Let's shift our focus from the exterior and our surroundings inward.  What areas of my life need attention?  What areas of my life could improve?  Get better? Where could i smooth rough edges?  How could I be a better servant, leader, worker, husband, father, friend or ???

Are there people in our path that need extra attention, effort, energy or love and care to reach their next level?  We might be able to fix things but can we help polish the people in our path?  Do our friends need some attention to keep or sustain the relationship status?  Does the term deferred maintenance apply to just houses or can it apply to humans as well?  We apply a coat of paint on the outside to clean things up but what does it take to really connect and influence those around us?  Are we willing to invest in that potential?  Do we want that potential realized?

Or is that just too expensive, risky or dangerous?