The Charm of the Antique

Do you ever feel like the “you” people see is not as shiny and pretty as you would like? Whether it’s from the toll of years of life or you were up with your sick baby in the night or bad news is wearing you down, you may be feeling ragged.

Last week I spent a day in an old mining town that makes no apologies for losing the patina of newness. Peeling paint, broken fences, dusty old things are what you find here. In fact, it’s why people come to visit.

You’ll see signs bragging of the old, the antique.

Even the buildings that are kept up, like the Julian Hotel, have a rustic look. The hotel, built in 1897, boasts a golden front . . .

but around back the steps show their age.

If a crew came in with a truckload of paint and gardening tools and fixed up the tiny town, the charm would disappear. Julian is fascinating because the old is okay, the rough surfaces are the norm. The town puts on no airs. It is simply itself.

If you’re feeling a bit like the old fence, take heart. Your experiences, your problems and worries that have etched wrinkles on your face or left circles under the eyes — these are what make you charming. They are what make you real.

Wishing you a week of being comfortable simply being yourself!

Linking up with Fridays Fences, Texture Tuesday, Sweet Shot Tuesdays and Communal Global.
Photos are processed with Kim Klassen’s texture minus 43.