With a soft huff of laughter, Joel nods, because he knows this place certainly has sides to it that other small towns don't. Yet he doesn't think he could ever leave. This place has become his haven, a home even without a family. "You could cultivate a reputation for being grumpy and short-tempered. More people might leave you alone that way." He smiles a little and shrugs. "It's mostly worked for me."

He certainly can be short-tempered, but not nearly to the extent he's led people to believe.