OK, I’ll admit it: I enjoy watching home improvement shows.
I think of them as fairy tales for grownups. The home seekers have a dragon to slay in the form of, say, a cramped interior or leaky basement. They face a variety of misadventures – traipsing through a string of totally unsuitable abodes, disagreeing about whether nearby coffee shops are a deal breaker for the new neighborhood, or installing a budget-bending beam for that open concept they really want.
Then, voila, the heroine and hero find the perfect condo in the best neighborhood, or they forego the kids’ bathroom upgrade for the support beam. Everybody lives happily ever after!
I know some of these programs are staged. Some of the folks who say they’re going to list their home wind up loving it when the cameras stop rolling.
But these formulaic programs appeal to our desire for tidy endings, and we love how granite countertops and luxury vinyl tile spruce up a tired bungalow.
We just need to keep in mind that it’s just once upon a time with power tools.
I, too, love tidy, happy endings, Liz. Magical Realism is my preferred state.
And the Bruce Springsteen-esque songster is great, too.
Thanks Darlene.!