A month or so ago, the old woman came into the office feeling aggrieved. Why had her birthday ad not run in color, while a similar one had, she wondered.

Melanie, my office manager, who typically runs interference for me, explained, “I'm sorry, color is extra.” But you know once a prideful old German gets up a head of steam, you have to ease that train to a stop. And the old woman had a reputation for being, well, difficult.

I'm not sure why, but I've always appreciated a good curmudgeon and the occasional grump. Maybe it's just the challenge of turning them around. I haven't consulted Webster's Dictionary, but I personally define curmudgeons as more interesting grumps.

I think curmudgeons pretty much know why they're cranky. Grumps just seem to have free-floating grumpiness. Curmudgeons are generally funny, in an acerbic, bitter sort of way. For instance, comedians George Carlin and Lewis Black are classic curmudgeons. That lady at the DMV is a grump.

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