It seems like a long time since I've blogged anything, and I'd like to apologize for that. I've started several posts since the last one, but each time, I've reviewed the work in draft form and decided that it had too hard an edge, and I don't want to inflict that on anyone else. There are way too many folks who use social media and blogs to vent without thinking, and it always makes them look bad in the end. We have to remember that taking to cyberspace with our feelings opens up a little porthole window into our personalities, good and bad.
Enough said about that. My brother Mike and I spent a evening together recently, and one of the things that came up was how our dad had a lot of favorite verbal expressions he'd use in certain situations. His nickname from childhood was 'Hoot', and I've always thought of them as 'Hootisms'. For instance:
- When anything was outrageously expensive (in his judgement, anyway), he would say it cost 'four barrels of money.' How much money was actually in a barrel, we've never been able to figure out.
- When he got sick of hearing us whine about fairness or refusing to participate in something, he would say 'Grab your glove and get in the game!' I guess that was his way of saying you don't get anywhere without trying.
- Perseverance was important to Dad, and his favorite way of telling you to hang in there was 'Grab a root and growl!' Doesn't that just conjure up the image of a cornered badger, baring its teeth?
- He wasn't impressed with titles or old names. He would say 'That and a quarter will get you a beer in any bar in town.'
I know there are a whole lot more that I haven't remembered. If you have a favorite Hootism, let me know and I'll post them in the future. Thanks!
