Life is just a series of crossroads

The definition of crossroads:

• 1. A road that intersects another road.
• 2. crossroads (used with a sing. or pl. verb)
• a. A place where two or more roads meet.
• b. A small, usually rural community situated at an intersection of two or more more roads: asked for directions at a remote crossroads.
• c. A place that is centrally located.
• d. A crucial point. See Synonyms at crisis.

Certainly, each of us has come to one of life's crossroads and been then faced with decision of which way to turn. Sometimes, the direction to go is quite obvious, but there are times when the choice isn't so clear. However, when we were kids, we had the Crossroads Plaza, not only did we know where to go, we had memorized it, from top to bottom.

The old Mammoth Mart Department store served as a regular stopping spot for the family when we were younger. It was your prototypical department store, elevator music in the background, racks and racks of clothing, including shoes, and of course, the Sporting Goods department. MM had a cousin, J.M. Fields, however, that store was in Haverhill, so it was less convenient when we were in a hurry. JMF had the donut man though, and this "baker man" could cut the dough and pop the rings into the air and catch them on his thumb. Boy, weren't we all fascinated by his skills? JMF became the now infamous, "Building 19", quite well known amongst the bargain hunters in the family.

Mammoth Mart, however, was our "local" store, and of course, this long predated the era of malls and shopping super centers. They even had "lay away", but what I remember most about the store wasn't even the store, it was the sign at the crossroad on the way.

• Cross Roads Plaza
  
• Mammoth Mart, discount dept. store
  
• Bottled Liquors
  
• Car Wash

Yes, life is full of its share of crossroads, but the real dilemma lies in knowing which direction is best when you get there. Some choices are clear, but it's the others which create indecision and uncertainty, and that's when you hope there are clear signs pointing the way. Even then, you need to have enough faith in yourself, and hopefully the support of family and friends, to make the choice. Otherwise, when the light turns green, you may not have enough courage to proceed forward, and then you are right back where you started. Little did we know then that the Crossroads Plaza would have taught us such a valuable lesson; I guess you could say that the path you select sure may have "Mammoth" consequences, and in this case, there was a store full!