We See Things Differently
We see things differently, you and I. Different from than other people. For example, I’m writing this message from a magnificent old hotel, The Colony, on the coast of Maine in Kennebunkport. Built in 1914, it takes you back to a simpler, but turbulent, time when the world was entering the first “War to end all wars.” My first impression of the hotel, like most people, was that this is an impressive, historic hotel reminiscent of an earlier time. But like so many buildings we see, there is more here to discover. Sitting at breakfast, enjoying the beautiful coastal scenery and the grandeur of the old hotel, I began to notice some of the finer details of the building. Some peeling paint that has been painted over. Some decay along a fascia board, questionable roofing and wood decay at some columns. Things others likely would not notice unless, like me, they were into that sort of thing. It reminds me of how different we are from other people. Not in a bad or good way, just different. Remember when you first began inspecting homes and you couldn’t go to your friends’ homes without seeing defects? How, after a while, you forced yourself to stop looking so you would be invited back? Our skill, because it is a skill, is looking beyond the obvious and noticing the details. We excel at it with buildings because, after all, it is what we do. But it goes further than that.
Thinking about past heroes
If you’re close to my age or older (51), you may remember what I thought was a really great television show called “Paladin.” It was a western that starred Richard Boone and was popular in the age of “Gun Smoke” and “Bonanza.” The hero’s signature was a business card with an image of a horse’s head, like you might see in a chess set, and the single word, Paladin. He was a hired gun who traveled from town to town and helped people by defeating the bad guys. If you look up the word paladin, you’ll find several meanings. The one I like best was number three in my Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. It defines paladin as ‘any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.’
Sharing my view of home inspectors
I recently spoke to the Great Plains Chapter of ASHI in Kansas City. During the course of my speaking, I shared with them my view on home inspectors. It wasn’t really planned. I generally make a few notes and then speak extemporaneously. So, it surprised some when I said that I wasn’t sure, but that I thought ours might be a noble profession. At the time, I wasn’t thinking about “Paladin.” I’m not even sure I knew paladin was a word rather than the name of a TV show and character. Maybe subconsciously I did because I later looked up the word (curiosity?) and there it was. Frankly, I’m rather proud to think of us all as paladins. Like the show, we travel from town to town helping people and defeating the bad guys. I don’t know how many bad guys are left in our business, but I’m sure we still have our share, and we definitely help people. So the next time someone asks you what you do, you can explain how you see things others don’t, smile and say you’re a paladin. “A determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.” We could do a lot worse.
As a reminder, InspectionWorld 2006 is just around the corner. In beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Fla., it promises to be the biggest conference we’ve ever held. If you haven’t been to an annual conference yet, this would be a good one to choose. Warm, beautiful climate, great restaurants, inland waterway, water taxies, great education, and lots and lots of fun! What’s not to like? So, make your reservation today to attend InspectionWorld 2006. Go to www.inspectionworld.org and
register online. I’ll see you there.
To Read the Full Article
ASHI offers its members unparalleled resources to advance their careers. ASHI offers training for inspectors at all levels of knowledge and experience, including resources about all major home systems. Members benefit from a vast network of experienced professionals, providing a community for mentorship and knowledge sharing..
In this Issue
FIND A HOME
INSPECTOR
Professional Networking
Grow your professional network, find a mentor, network with the best, and best part of the community that’s making home inspection better every day.
