Being a building, I don't get out much.

But I've heard of this thing called a Y in the road, where one road goes in two directions and a person has to choose which one of the two to take. (I wonder if there is such a thing as a W in the road? I've heard of a U-turn, and a T intersection...)

I suppose getting out and about, a person finds a lot of turns and choices. It has become clear to me that the more years a person has been making these choices, the more one-directional the person's trend becomes. In fact, the elderly people who come in here have one of two directions that they have taken: grace or grump.

The grumps don't like that Charlie doesn't have the exact whatever that they need, or that Leo is charging $1.75 for an item they can buy from the mainland for $1.50 (plus $6.05 shipping). The grumps know that pain hurts and they are in a lot of pain. They know that people can be mean, and they expect it. They know that you have to establish who's the alpha in the relationship, who is the customer and who is the servant. Leo told one grump after a long attempt at gentling her, "Try nice. If you can't try nice, try Walmart." The grumpy woman was at first shocked, then almost seemed grateful and looked like she might make a choice for grace.

The graceful sense that this is a place for play and playful spirits. If play is not for them, they exit with a smile. If they are still playing, they come in and carry on, gathering the tools for their very serious work of messing around. The graces are able to substitute one similar adhesive for their favorite, or one color that is almost right for the exact color. The grace-filled know that people can be mean about half as often as they can be loving. It's clear that they are familiar with pain, and see it as a part of them, not all of who they are. They think it's funny that my name stands for Take It Or Leave It. (The grumps need to hear that it also stands for "To Inspire Others, Live Inspired" so that they can swallow it... even though they both mean the same thing.)

Charlie looks worried. I think she sees that she has been taking the turns at each Y that will eventually lead her to being a grump. I wondered when she would notice how critical she was... now maybe she can let herself play.