By Troy Clarkson | The Falmouth Bulletin | April 28, 2008

With the curves and swerves served up to us during our journey here, much of our success, I have come to believe, is determined by how we approach each step, each twist in our path that causes us to stop and ponder.

With each of these trials, we have a choice: we can lament the roadblocks that have been placed before us — and spread the resulting bitterness — or we can be thankful for the experience, soak in what we have learned and move on, awaiting the next challenge with gratitude.

Having met Barbara Lind recently, I am sure she is choosing the latter path. It’s never easy to meet a challenge for which you are well prepared, never mind one for which you must rely on faith. Barbara Lind knows something about that as well.

As the owner of the former My Tin Man Diner, a Wizard of Oz-themed fixture near the Otis rotary in Bourne for decades, Barbara spent most of her life filling the bellies and hearing the tales of Cape Codders and visitors alike. Full of boundless energy, she exudes a positive vitality that you can feel in her hands and see on her kind face.

There was a time, though, in the not-so-distant past when Barbara’s zip and positive karma were gone, along with the hope and gratitude that fills her life today. Eight years ago, the Tin Man burned to the ground in a well-publicized fire. Countless mementos of that magical land of Oz which adorned every inch of the diner went up in flames along with all of Barbara’s dreams. She was crushed.

“Part of me died with the diner,” she said as I met her on a sun-soaked afternoon last week at the location of the new Tin Man Diner in North Falmouth.

The loss of her livelihood and career was followed by the death of several loved ones in short order; the result was debilitating depression. “I didn’t want to live,” she explained.

Then, much like the Tin Man himself emerged from his rust-induced paralysis in the well-known tale, Barbara found new life in helping others suffering from the pain and anguish of depression and other mental illnesses. She spent four years giving of herself and working with others. Now, her Tin Man is coming back.

Located at the four corners in the village of North Falmouth, the new Tin Man Diner is scheduled to open on or around May 6 at the site of the former Wendell’s, a North Falmouth landmark.

Still smarting financially from the loss of her former location, Barbara has been able to complete the renovations and upgrades at the new location through the generous support and donations of friends, family and former (soon to be current) customers, totaling a whopping $54,000. Gifts to decorate the new Tin Man are pouring in. One customer painted and framed a yellow brick road; another brought in a Tin Man puppet to adorn “Glinda’s Kitchen.” Even Barbara’s grandchildren offered some artistic comic relief in the rest room.

The outpouring of love and support is moving. Having never met Barbara and just stopping by to wish her luck, I was offered a grand tour and enjoyed each detail, from the wall tiles found in an old subway station to the original service counter, which has been preserved.

It is obvious in hearing her story that Barbara has had many opportunities to lament the roadblocks but has instead embraced the difficult lessons in her life and is now basking in the glowing results.

The Wizard of Oz himself said that a heart is not judged by how much you love, but by how much you are loved by others. Barbara Lind is loved by many. As a result, her journey of gratitude continues and the Tin Man lives on.

I’ll see you soon for breakfast.

Originally published online here: http://www.wickedlocal.com/falmouth/news/lifestyle/columnists/x501039147