January 10. Tuesday Night.

Hi Journey.

Lessons, always lessons; it just goes to show me, I have so far to go. I think my client interrogation skills are so advanced but really I take way too long in my questioning to lead the client to see what they already know.

I never feel better at work than when I see the light bulb flash on in a client's eyes. Same when one of my Third Graders gets the lesson. It's just such a kick to see that look phase into a sense of wonder and then a feeling of accomplishment—that “I got it!” feeling.

Usually it's a simple (not easy!) matter of getting their head to match their heart. Odd how it requires a second mind to accomplish that task.

This morning Pat Scutari and I were discussing her new Family Room. She had her mind wrapped tightly around the idea of a huge, heavy billiards table as the room's centerpiece. She wants one of those old-fashioned solid-slate behemoths, with bright red felt for the bed and gold fringe around each pocket. Plus, she wants a two-piece ping-pong table that can then be fitted atop the billiard table.

Shelly scouted about and discovered a really cool foosball table that flips over and becomes an air-hockey table. The price difference between the billiards table and the combo foosball/air-hockey table is only about $4,500. (I know, I know, down-selling isn't exactly our goal, but in this case it's the right thing; believe me, Journey.)

Anyway, Mrs. S. really wanted that billiard table. Or maybe her husband did; I'm still not sure on that account. But I just kept picking up a dissonance, like it wasn't really going to accomplish her vision for a grandkid-centered space, especially since their oldest grandchild is all of five years old. Little kids can barely reach up to the billiard table to make a shot. Plus, Pat and her husband will wrench out their backs when they try to heft that ping-pong table onto the pool table.

I kept explaining how the foosball table would work. The legs are height adjustable, and it's lightweight so the table is easy to convert; simply pull two pins and it pivots right over. Mrs. S. understood the mechanics quite well thank-you-very-much, but despite the expense, I could see she still wasn't sold.

Finally I asked her how many times in her nursing career she had treated patients who had strained themselves lifting something too heavy—like a ping-pong table, perhaps?

That's when her light bulb glowed on.

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