It was the second visit. I had seen the apartment from the inside and I was impressed. It was clear that others had paid attention to detail. Lines were straight. It was obvious that someone had gone to great lengths to insure the quality of materials and craftsmanship involved. It was as if I had made the best choices and now had the opportunity to consider if I wanted to make it my own. As excited as I was, I also wanted a second opinion.
As I watched the review unfold and debrief later, I knew he was looking at things differently than I was. More than just the obvious, he was looking at the externals, setting, and context. As we walked from room to room, he jotted down brief notes, measured, and took pictures. I wondered where this was leading. It seemed as if everything was measured once, then twice, and then checked a third time.
As we debriefed later, we spoke of alignment, setting, what was square and what was faced at sharp angles. It was a great discussion. As much as I had seen, there was more! With each revelation, there was a discussion and Q and A about his rationale.
While he like the same things I did, there was much more to his analysis. He was concerned that his “bad” news would be received with regret or frustrations. It was interesting to reassure him that I wanted his analysis, viewpoint, and rationale. My interest was to hear and dialogue. Even now as I think of his work, I am reminded of the Psalmist’s observation; “Strong king, lover of justice, you laid things out fair and square; you set down the foundations in Jacob, foundation stones of just and right ways.” (Psalm 99.4)
There will not be a third visit. While this opportunity has closed, his insights opened the door to more. I can see more because of his insights. I am excited! There is something better in the future. For now, it will be interesting to see where the path leads.
