Ho by any other name

Some fifteen or so years ago, my dear late wife Barbara started calling me "Ho," a shortening of my name and also of HoJo, a nickname some used. It stuck and soon most of our friends were calling me Ho. I thoroughly enjoyed my new nickname and have used it ever since, as on this blog and another one, Ho's Rants. Some time later Barbara introduced me to a young black woman at a church gathering using my nickname. She expressed shock and asked, "Don't you know what that means?"

I replied that I knew what it meant in her culture, but that it held no such meaning in Barb's usage and was actually a term of endearment. She commented that she would be terribly offended if someone called her that. I replied that though I understood and certainly would not call her that, it carried no such connotation for me and that I rather liked it. We had quite a discussion with her sticking to not understanding how I could allow such a thing. Finally I said to her, "Meridith, if I called you 'Mer' would you be offended?"

"Of course not!" was her reply.

"Even if 'Mer' in my culture had an evil or distasteful connotation?"

"No!" she replied emphatically.

"Then why can you not understand why I am not offended by or dislike being called, "Ho."

"I sort of see what you mean, but it still bothers me." she commented.

I added, "Different strokes for different folks can even apply to words and word usage. Many words in the Englsh language have dual or even multiple meanings, some quite different. Many cultures that use English have very different meanings for the same word and many diferent words to express a thought or definition. Then there is the fact that some people are much more sensitive to being offended than are others. I am blessed with the belief that it is the intent or usage of the word rather than the word itself that defines it's meaning and may cause any offense. The thickness of one's skin and the level of one's self esteem is also a factor."

I might add that the years have brought me to realize how little is ever to be gained by being angry or feeling guilty. I now see those things that previously made me angry as not my problem, or problems that I cannot effect in any way. They are indeed the problems of those who previously brought on my anger. Recognizing this does a great deal to lessen any anger my instincts might cause to be aroused. Life is just too damned short to get upset over anything one cannot correct or effect. If you tend to feel guity over your actions, just don't commit those actions. If you tend to anger over the actions of others, just remember that they are the ones who own the problem. Just feel sorry for them and don't assume ownership for yourslf. Life is really a wonderful, but far too short experience. Enjoy it!

Experience on the Anhinga Trail in the Everglades

I am a new wintertime resident of St. Augustine. This is my second winter here and I love it. St Augustine has to be one of the best kept secrets of America. There is an unbelievable variety of things to do and see here from 500 year old structures and forts to the charming, narrow streets of the old town to specialty sights like the lighthouse, Ripley's museum, and the Alligator farm. Tour trains and horse drawn carriage rides that wind through the narrow streets are a delight while cultural attractions and wide, sandy beaches appeal to a wide range of tastes. All these great attractions are readily accessible in a smallish town with a friendly atmosphere and plenty of good restaurants. All the interesting places and sights in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are within a day's drive




Recently, Daphne and I visited Flamingo in Everglades National Park in our RV for a week. During our visit we walked the Anhinga Trail where we had a most unusual and interesting experience. As we walked on the wooden section of the trail, we photographed a cormorant drying its wings on a branch just above the water.








Suddenly it dove into the water disappearing for nearly a minute. It then struggled to the surface with a large catfish in its bill, flew out of the water and landed on the boardwalk just a few feet away.

The catfish struggled mightily, but the cormorant held on, its beak clamped onto head of the catfish by its gills. As we watched, fascinated, the bird maneuvered the catfish against the wooden planks until its beak was deep into the gills.

Then it repeatedly stabbed directly into the heart of the fish with its pointed lower bill. Having many times cleaned catfish, I knew exactly where the heart was as obviously did the bird. Soon the catfish was motionless and obviously quite dead. At this point, the cormorant relaxed its grip on the fish, turned it and grabbed it by the head, lifted its head and the ill fated catfish straight up toward the sky and proceeded to swallow it, headfirst.





















The bulge in its throat that was the catfish, moved slowly and steadily down the bird’s throat to disappear into its body. The bird walked around for a few minutes, probably adjusting the position of the rather large meal, flew nonchalantly right past a dozen amazed spectators onto the handrail where it paused for a moment, then flew away to a perch to digest its prey.

That prey probably weighed nearly a third of what the hungry bird did before its meal. What was so amazing to us was how skillfully and swiftly the bird dispatched the catfish that otherwise could have done it great harm if it had been alive and struggling when swallowed. Quite obviously the cormorant had handled this kind of dangerous prey before.