You would have loved being a fly on the wall in the library this evening!

At 6 p.m. I phoned Dorothy and asked her to bring Joseph upstairs with her and meet me in the library.  He had just come to work.  So when they showed up I began telling them this story. 

At 4:01 p.m. the phone rang.  It was *** and she was asking how to get to Shiloh.  She made reservations a couple of days ago for a retreat which was to start today and last for four days.  But it's her first time so she needed directions.  No problem.  We get this question all the time.  And she is an English speaker so that makes it super easy for me.

When I learned which part of town she was coming from, I began telling her how to get across town.  She interrupted me to let me know she knows our area real well.  She has often had spiritual retreats at two of the three other places fairly close to Shiloh where one can stay. 

That made it downright easy.  I told her to tell the taxi driver to let her out at "Entrance Complex BIAC" (remember that if you ever come to visit us.)  When the taxi drops her off, she simply crosses the street.  She will know she is in the right place because there is a large billboard for "College YONDO".  I told her to walk down that street, passing a soccer field on the right.  Shortly after the soccer field she will come to College YONDO.  It's actually a high school complex with three large, two story buildings. Each building has "College YONDO" painted on the side in very large letters.  You would have to be blind not to see it.  So I then instructed her to stop when she gets to the first College YONDO and give us a call.  We will walk out and meet her. [FYI she would have arrived by 5 p.m., a full hour before twilight.]

"OH!" she exclaimed.  "THIS IS TOO COMPLICATED!  i CANNOT COME TODAY!  I WILL HAVE TO COME IN THE MORNING!"

To which I calmly replied "You are going to tell the taxi to let you off at Entrance Complex BIAC.  Then you will cross the street and the large billboard for the college will be right there.  Stop by the billboard.  Don't move.  Phone us.  We will come out and get you." 

She hung up.  And two hours later I was sitting in the library relating this story to Joseph and Dorothy.  I asked them for their opinion.  Will she show up tonight, or will she come in tomorrow morning?  Joseph went off into gales of laughter.  Dorothy glanced at him with a puzzled look on her face and then turned back to me.  "Mama Alice," she asked, "why does she think it will be easier to find Shiloh in the morning than in the afternoon?"  I was trying very hard to not join Joseph in his laughter, but it was getting harder by the second.   I told Joseph which room was reserved for this lady and asked him not to lock it up for the night until after 8 p.m. which is our deadline for guests coming in.  Then I informed Dorothy that when she has lived at Shiloh longer she will begin to understand what is so funny.  It's not uncommon at all to give directions to someone and have them go ballistic on us!  We've had them wander around for over an hour, phoning us every 5 to 10 minutes, more lost than the time before.  And all because it is nigh unto impossible for an amazing number of people to listen and follow simple directions.  There is no point in getting upset when we stumble onto this kind of person.  It's best to go off into gales of laughter.  We all live longer lives that way!