It s the same with an old car, maybe your first car. The one that doesn t start unless you know the trick. Sure, it would be nice to have a car that started without a spoon in the carburetor, but it s knowing the little problems that makes it yours. The intimate, ugly details make the car lovable. The same goes for three-legged dogs, holey flannel shirts, shithole apartments, psychotic old girlfriends, whatever.
Imperfection is character.
Columbia is a place with character. The el rattles by every four minutes. There s a mission for the homeless nearby, and sometimes it feels like you have to walk through the mission to get to class. The teachers don t quit their day jobs. If you re late for class you might get stuck sitting in a metal folding chair.