More than several years ago, while teaching at Waynoka, there was a student that had similar tastes in baseball teams that I did.  Yep, the St. Louis Cardinals.  He grew up feeding cows with his grandpa while listening to Cardinals games on the radio.  It was a family deal.  Like many others in this part of the world, that radio connection is what made the fan base for the Cardinals that continues today.  That, and they are always in contention and they also might be the very best run professional team in all of sports.  I digress.

This kid is one of the best students that I have ever had.  I mean wicked good kid that has gone on and done well.  He came from a great family and now, he in turn is raising a great family.  I will not rank my top students because I have been so, so fortunate to be around so, so many great ones.

Several years ago, there was a conglomeration of some of my very best students and they asked, “Kelln, who is your best student ever?”  I choked back a bit, thought just a second and answered, “That would have to be a girl named Kela Kelln.”  At that time, Duke had not been a student of mine for long.  Those very intelligent kids nodded their heads and replied, “Good answer, Kelln.”  They knew me well enough that my answer just bought me a reprieve.  Several of those kids would have been in the running for damn sure. My head starts spinning thinking about all of those kids accomplishments.  And I can dang neart tear up a bit as I think about how well they have done in the game called adult life.

Back in 2001, there was a rookie for the Cardinals that was ripping up the big leagues.  I mean, tearing it up like we hadn’t seen in awhile.  I remember the first time that I heard his name.  I felt kind of like a middle school kid–they said….what.  That almost sounds dirty.  That dude is still playing today.

So, one day that summer, this student and I are looking at cattle and talking reasons.  We had the radio turned to a sports talk deal.  They mentioned this player.  This young man said, “Mr.  Kelln, that name almost sounds dirty but he is so good.”

I laughed and that started a game that he and I played for a bit.  Words that sound dirty but really aren’t.

The player:  Albert Pujols.   Sure, it sounds like pooh-holes.  Some of the other words that came up are: booby–that word is used in a lot of different areas.  You can be a booby, have a pair of them, there is even a bird or two named after a booby.  Liederhosen was a favorite.  I have worn a kilt (properly) but I have never wore a set of liederhosen.  I need to go to Oktoberfest in the mother-land and wear some liederhosen while acting like a booby.

I have written before about the things that go on in an ag vehicle on an agventure.  Coaches have the same kind of stories.  Yesterday, I had a new word to add to the list of not dirty but sounds like it.

Weenis, or weenus.  I don’t remember seeing this word on the spelling bee list.  But it is dang sure on google and wikipedia.  I did not know that this is the loose skin at the end of your elbow joint.  “Take your hands off of my weenus”.   That phrase just don’t seem right.  You want to make it worse?   Just google weenis.  How about that?  Googling a weenus sounds like something that could get you probation and a restraining order.

On a different note with the same batch of kids.  We took two suburban loads to OKC.  We left at 6 am and returned back to Shattuck after 7 pm.  They cleaned the trash out of the suburbans, then each one of them told Mrs. Abbey and I, “Thank You for taking us.”

You people can just sit at home and watch those absolute worthless debates with those boobies and pooh-holes making all of their fake promises.  Those dumb asses (there is another one of those words) might as well have been wearing liederhosen and giving out free cell phones.    Watch cnn or fox.  Do what you gotta do.  I do not care about the fake crap going on in the media and in politics.  You waste your time as you see fit.  But, as for me and my house, we will be dealing with those that matter.  Yes, we’ll keep dealing with kids.  They aren’t worried about the propaganda of global warming, car farts, blue or red states, semantics of what somebody said on a social media deal, etc. etc. etc.  I suggest that you do the same.  Go sub at your local school.  Volunteer to help a teacher, coach, school, county agent, whatever word(s) you want to use, I don’t care.  Go help.  Write a check if you have to.  Or better yet, give some time.  Help tie this next generation to the real world.  Don’t let social media, radio or tv be their link to the “real” world.  Show them the real world.  They listen.  If you act like a puss-n-boots, they will treat you like a puss (is that puss like, from a wound or a cat or…)

Over the years, I’ve known  subs that are retired, don’t need the work, but are wicked awesome… who have told a turd kid, “Sit down and shut up you little bastard.”

The kid responded, “You can’t talk to me like that!”

The response, “Sure I can.  I’m related to your mother.  I know that I’m right and she already gave me permission to slap you in the back of the head.  What are they going to do…fire me?”   Appropriate…henh?!  Effective.  Yes. Welcome to the real world.

Take a neighbor kid to dinner.  Teach them the value of a medium rare steak.  Show them why, sometimes, there are more than 1 fork at a place setting.  Why is a $1 tip not enough?

We will continue to discuss dirty words like work ethic, politeness, promptness, dressing for the job, responsiblity and respect.  If they bring it up, we will talk politics (dang sure a dirty word), religion (I don’t care what you believe, just don’t tell me how to believe) or maybe the value of a pork chop, ribeye, gilled salmon or an old fashioned brake check while the mouthy kid is dozing off in the middle seat of a suburban.  I told you to buckle up.

The US of A is not falling apart.  The INFO NOW media makes it seem that way.  The infrastructure is still there.  I’m in the trenches and kids aren’t all bad.  Different than I was as a kid, yes.  Bad….HECK NO!  They are probably better.  They are aware of the land mines, they just need somebody to show them the way.  Are there problem kids, families, situations….hell yes, there is.  But there has always been.  I can tell you without a doubt, kids today are smarter than I was when I was that age.  They also don’t know what to do with all of that info that they have acquired.  They want to do right.  And given the opportunity, they normally make the right decision.

Don’t stand by and watch your town or school melt into the dang sure dirty words.  Step up.  Be a neighbor.  A citizen.  Hell, just be an American and don’t let it happen. You don’t have to use foul language.  Just do something.  Don’t just sit somewhere and bitch (oh yeah, female dog is fine but use it the other ways and …..)

Yeah,  at dang neart five decades old, I’m still learning terms like weenus.  I bet you googled it just to see if I was right.  Yeah, I know.  I did to.  And, I am right.  I learned it from 8th graders on the way home from a livestock judging contest.  However, it does not sound right.

Get kids out to your farm.  No matter the animals, the acreage, the crop…. get them out there.  Don’t let them lose touch.  The media and the politicians are in control if we let kids lose hold of what’s real.  What is real you ask?  Work, dirt, meat, grass, ethics, pick another word.   My old buddy Ron Simonson knows what I’m talking about.  Jason Spence can wax poetic about it and find a way to make a dollar from it.  Those people in the most productive agricultural region in the world, a little place called California get it.  Right?  For sure they do.  From the Dakotas to that whole other country called Texas, they all get it.  Don’t let some bastards and bitches (used properly?) oh yes!   that use the media, internet and fear mongering control your thoughts about the next generation.

I don’t care if both of you loyal readers ( or all of you others that can be tracked by your IEP accounts–yeah, it’s scary the info that can be had for just a couple of dollars a month.  It’s fun to see who clicks on here numerous times a day just to see if I wrote something.  And in case you were wondering, cell phones are just as/or easier to track as any given computer.)  No matter where we are at, anymore, we are being tracked.  Just reach out to your local school, 4H, FFA or athletic teams.  Make the connection from pasture to plate.

As I proof-read this post, I’m like dude, this one is long, it’s close enough to the point.  If they don’t get the jist of this, they are eating crayons.  But, I’m still like, that dude is going to the hall-of -fame but the name Pujols still makes me grin when I hear it.