Columns

Accents cling to me.
I don’t invite them in. It just happens, every time I move and anytime I constantly hear a specific regional dialect.
Chameleons change color. Tigers stalk prey in striped fur to match their dark jungle habitat.
Speech becomes my camouflage.
As I adjust to living here, I’ve caught myself falling into a Southern dialect when I’m talking. Don’t get me wrong; I wouldn’t mind having a Kentucky accent.
I’m just never consistent.

I knew Kentucky was famous for its horses.
I didn’t expect to see a Swamp Donkey.
Last Saturday’s mud bog involved horsepower of a different kind, something unusual to the eyes of this reporter.
After living in central South Dakota for a couple of years, I’ve seen my share of bucking bulls, rodeo cowboys and mutton bustin’.
I didn’t possess the bravery of my preacher father, however, who once bonded with a parishioner while castrating bulls.
I think I chose to take in the sights of a cow pie bingo instead.

May is over and June has arrived. Let’s just be thankful for every sunrise we see.
Tornado season is upon us. One of them hit the family farm in Huntingburg, Ind., last week. Though no one was injured, there is not a building that didn’t get damaged. Insurance will cover the costs but what a rough road ahead. We’ve been lucky here, so far.

As I observe my fellow classmates, peers and citizens in general, I see a common denominator. Stupidity at its best. Look around yourself right now; I’m sure you’ll see it, too. Whether on television, text (written documents, not text messaging), or coming straight from the person sitting in front of you, it’s highly prevalent in today’s society.
Now, notice a child’s behavior and marvel at something truly remarkable: ignorance rather than stupidity.