Vocabulary. A necessary evil

"Here are this week's vocabulary words, the test will be next Tuesday. Know how to spell, define and use each word in a sentence".

These instructions from the teacher brought groans and grumbling from the moldable minds

of students in the classroom. There was always at least one weird kid who just loved this assignment, and every assignment except for recess. This kid wasn't a real kid, for he or she would try and use these words in their regular communication, after acing last week's test. In the world of kiddom, no one wanted to sound like an egg head or be the teacher's pet.

Our egg head was a guy named Paul. Paul was a genius, highly intelligent, very kind and polite, and was always the kid picked last when picking teams for dodge ball, baseball or football. Paul never climbed to rope in gym class; he was that guy. Funny thing about being that guy........my mom would always ask me, "why can't you be more like Paul, he's so smart and has a wonderful vocabulary"? This comment was usually made after my failing the test on Tuesday. "Mom.... Paul's an egg head, I'm gonna tame tigers when I grow up, why do I need to know vocabulary"? "Don't call Paul an egghead, that's not polite or proper", mom would say, "Paul's going to be valedictorian", .......I really didn't care or know what a valedictorian was!

Anyway, having Paul in my class put a damper on things I had going on, he was sure my tiger taming career wouldn't take off like I thought......What the hell does he know?

Turns out a lot........there is not a huge demand for tiger tamers......so I changed professions and became a fireman, with my knuckle dragging ability and vocabulary limited to grunting and two-word sentences, I was a shoe in....

Little did I know there were guys similar to Paul on the fire department, smart guys with a strong vocabulary. I soon discovered grunting and two-word sentences weren't going to cut it any longer. I soon began to wish I had paid attention back in grade school, or in school period. Who would have thought it, but vocabulary was and is important, pay attention kids it's better to sound like an egg head rather than a hillbilly.

I said all of that to say this....... stay tuned in the next few days Ill be putting a vocabulary work sheet together as it applies to buckle makers. There is just too damn many of you out there grunting and using two-word sentences, and you're wearing me out with it. Communication is a lost art; one I am going to pursue.