Home CountryBy SLIM RANDLES
“I can’t stand winter,” Herb Collins said, who had dropped in at the Mule Barn’s philosophy counter for a quick cup.
“There’s nothing to do.”
“Get out and enjoy it,” Doc suggested. “Go skiing. Go ice fishing. Build a snowman. Do something. Then you’ll feel better.”
“I don’t think your advice will take,” Dud said. “Herb seems to be intransigent on this one.”
We all looked at Dud.
“You see, he said he couldn’t stand winter,” Dud continued, “which shows he has a proclivity for intransigence on that particular subject.”
We looked at him some more.
“If he were to take up a winter hobby,” he continued, “he could stop being intransigent and enjoy things more.”
Even Herb was staring at him now.
“I usually enjoy a proclivity in that direction, but winter is pretty boring, so maybe I really should be intransigent on this point.” Herb said.
“Well Herb,” Dud said, “even though you might have a proclivity this season for being intransigent on your attitude about winter, you could kinda ease up and consider a hobby. That way you’d be showing a proclivity for transigence.”
“Transigence?” Doc said. “I thought those were people who lived under bridges. You might want to look that one up, Dud.”
Dud blushed as we laughed.
“Say Dud?” Steve, the cowboy said. “Wasn’t proclivity last month’s word?”
“Yes,” Dud said, “and I believe I’ve used it a couple of dozen times already.”
“And now this month’s word is intransigence, right?”
Dud nodded.
“Well then,” Doc said, “it looks like you are going to have a proclivity for saying intransigence this month. That’s a veritable plethora of proclivity my friend.”
Dud pulled out a pencil and grabbed a napkin.
“How do you spell it, Doc?”
“Spell what?”
“Plethora.”
We just groaned. Sometimes education can be ugly.
