Ragamuffins

At this time of year, our thoughts turn to (or at least they SHOULD!) to those less fortunate. To helping out those in need by donating food, clothing, gifts, and toys to various charitable organizations to bring some warmth, comfort, and happiness especially to the ragamuffins in the world.

A ragamuffin (rag-uh-muhf-in) is a noun used to describe someone, especially a child, in ragged, dirty clothes. Sometimes a child could be a ragamuffin in looks (especially after a delightful time spent in the mud) without being a child in a destitute situation. When you go tent camping for a week, your son might come home dirty and disheveled because he was able to have fun out in nature while escaping a nightly visit to the bathtub. Sometimes our sons have come home from Boy Scout camp looking very much like a ragamuffin!

The other day, I received an e-mail with some pictures and statistics of the amount and type of food Americans eat in comparison to other countries around the world. I thought that I would share just two of the them here with you (since today’s word could aptly describe some of the children in those families).

At this time of year — and then all year long! — may you reach into your pocket to do what you can to help ragamuffins around the world live a better life. Every little bit helps.

Walking a Recalcitrant Dog

This morning my walking partner decided to bring her dog along for a walk. This was the second time in a year that the dog had been on a leash and on a walk with us. So, it goes without my saying much that the dog wasn’t even a smidgen trained. It was a recalcitrant dog — and no, that is not the breed of dog!

Recalcitrant (ri-kal-si-truhnt) is an adjective that means resisting authority or control. Not obedient or compliant. Hard to deal with or manage. This dog definitely resisted control. Obedience and compliance were not in its vocabulary. At the end of 3 miles, my friend felt that her right arm had been pulled out of its socket and was eleven feet longer than her left arm.

Children can be recalcitrant when asked to do their chores. They are resistant and rebellious about the whole job thing. Recalcitrant perfectly describes a toddler because every parent knows that toddlers are stubbornly disobedient.

Sometimes I feel my hair is recalcitrant when I’m having a bad hair day because my hair has a mind of its own, is not obedient, and resists all my feeble attempts at styling it.

At the end of the Civil War, the southerners were recalcitrant because they didn’t want to be under the authority and control of the northern states. During the 60s, there were many civil rights demonstrations because the Blacks were resistant of the controls that white people had over them.

Recalcitrant can also refer to some medical conditions such as cancer. In this type of a situation, recalcitrant means not responsive to treatment. Sometimes warts or mononucleosis are recalcitrant because they are both difficult to get rid of.

Back to walking the dog. Maybe for the sake of my friend’s arm, the dog needs more training before it comes along next time. . .