Homes
Me: “WordPress and I have continuing disagreements about
the sizes and positions of graphics.
I am comfortable with imperfection.”
Understanding Each Other’s Lives
June 20, 2024
An older plumber and a younger plumber came to my house to fix a leak.
Me: “How many more jobs do you have today?”
Older Plumber: “Three small ones, then a big one. Why do you ask?”
Me: “I’m curious.”
After they finished the job, I explained more.
Me: “This country would be more effective if we understood each other’s lives.”
Older Plumber: “What kind of work do you do?”
I said I was currently doing home healthcare, but was also setting up online self-study courses. I told both plumbers about my childhood spinal injury that made earning money difficult. I asked them to tell any children in their lives to never pull a chair out from under anyone. Some people are instantly paralyzed if they land the wrong way.
Older Plumber: “You were lucky.”
Me: “I was.”
More understanding, one chit chat conversation at a time.
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Invitation Benefit
May 24, 2025
I have a treehouse around the base of a huge cedar tree. I saw an elderly couple walking past my house stop to look at my treehouse.
I went outside and we had a conversation about my treehouse and about the village park and the new village hall. The couple lives in a nearby village where civic matters aren’t going so well. Elderly Man had questions about the posted plan for renovating the park and the cost of the obviously new village hall.
I invited the couple into my treehouse to enjoy its magnificence. The builders cut floorboards to fit around the trunk.
Elderly Man took a close look around the tree trunk.
Elderly Man: “How old is the treehouse?”
Me: “My granddaughter was 3 when it was built and she’s going to be 8, so 5 years old.”
Elderly Man: “The tree trunk looks like it’s still growing because there’s very little space between these boards and the tree.”
I looked. One board is just about touching the tree. The boards weren’t that close originally.
Elderly Man: “It would be easy to cut a little bit of the boards to make more space for the tree to grow.”
Me: “I’ll let the carpenters do that. They built it. I’m glad I invited you into my treehouse!”
DISC Behavior Clues
Friendly
Curious
Interested in conversation
Influence
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Excuse To Not Pay
August 12, 2025
I had my septic system pumped today. I enjoy talking to the owner of the septic pumping company every 3 years. I handed him my check because I don’t trust the post office to deliver it.
Me: “Have you ever had any checks bounce?”
Company Owner: “Oh, yeah. Last year I lost $2800. Sometimes I get a check a year or 2 later.”
Me: “They felt guilty.
Business Owner: “Sometimes people just make up excuses. One guy said, ‘I’m not paying because your truck left an oil spot on my driveway.’”
Me: “That’s terrible!”
Company Owner: “Every small business gets burned.”
Spranger Guiding Value Clue
Making an excuse to cheat the small business owner out of payment for work done
Position
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© Paula M. Kramer, 2025
All rights reserved.
Updated October 13, 2025.