During this bout of homelessness, I’ve made a dear and supportive friend who happens to be a realtor. Now, while I can’t afford her housing or rental properties, it’s interesting to note that she’s got a passion for fixer-uppers. She loves taking old, run-down houses, breathing new life into them, and turning them into homes again. But this time, the fixer-upper she found wasn’t some broken-down house with peeling paint and sagging floors—it was me.
“You’re gonna quit smoking,” she declared one day, like a general about to lead a battle charge the way i took it. “You’re gonna exercise. You’re gonna diet.”
And just like that, I became her project. You know, it’s funny. When you’re homeless, you expect your biggest worry to be where your next meal is coming from, or how you’ll stay warm at night. You don’t really expect someone to hand you a metaphorical hammer and say, "Time to rebuild, starting with you."
But here’s the thing—I wasn’t exactly in a position to argue. After all, when someone believes in you enough to think you’re worth fixing up, maybe it’s time you start believing it, too. So, I quit smoking. I started exercising (occasionally). And dieting? Well, let's just say there have been attempts.
Of course, with all fixer-uppers, it’s a process. And I’m no different. There are days when I’m more dilapidated bungalow than shiny new condo. But my realtor friend? She doesn’t give up easily. Every time I stumble, she’s right there, pushing me back up, reminding me that even fixer-uppers have potential.
Funny how life works, right? I never expected to find myself as someone’s pet project, but here I am—getting patched up, one brick at a time. I’ve still got a long way to go, but with the right support (and maybe a few less cigarettes), I might just turn out to be one of the best fixer-uppers my friend’s ever worked on.
Because let’s face it, whether it’s a broken-down house or a broken-down person, sometimes all you need is someone to see the potential in you.
So here’s to my friend—the realtor who didn’t just find another house to fix up. She found me.
by Dan and Bonkers
