My wife and our 14-year-old daughter, Emma, have informed me that I have been spelling our German shepherd’s name wrong.
Well, actually, my wife and Emma informed me, long ago, that I have been spelling our German shepherd’s name wrong. Our German shepherd’s name is Shilo, but my wife and Emma tell me that “Shilo” should actually be spelled S-H-I-L-O-H.
Emma is of the opinion that, because we named Shilo, in part, after the dog in the award-winning children’s book titled “Shiloh” that is why I should spell Shilo’s name Shiloh.
Emma has a point. We did name Shilo in part after the book. Emma was reading “Shiloh” when we got Shilo at the Joplin Humane Society. By the way, if you are ever in the market for a dog, please consider adopting a dog from your local Humane Society. You’ll be glad you did.
For some reason, the very first time I mentioned Shilo in this column, I decided that I wanted to 86 the final “H” in Shiloh. The final “H” in Shiloh is silent. I’m uneasy with silent letters. The way I see it, life is too short to waste on silent letters.
That’s one reason I would make a lousy French guy. Well, the first reason I would make a lousy French guy is I don’t — so much — speak French. But the other reason I would make a lousy French guy is because the French have way too many silent letters. I suspect the reason the French make such great wine is because they need to drink to ease the pain of living in a world full of silent letters.
I don’t spell well, never have and likely never will. When I was a kid I used to get mad whenever I came across a word with a silent letter. As far as I was concerned, a silent letter was just another way for me to screw up a spelling test.
And for what? An extra letter that nobody, in a conversation, would ever miss?
I’ve told this story before, but, when I was in fourth grade the word “pound” appeared on a weekly spelling test. My teacher — Mr. Palmer — told me that if I misspelled the word “Pound” he would “kill me.”
Mr. Palmer was not exactly Mr. Chips.
In part, because I enjoyed driving Mr. Palmer crazy and, in part, to show my contempt for silent letters, I added an “E” to the Pound.
Emma and my wife don’t buy my Shilo spelling explanation. Emma and my wife think that I accidentally misspelled Shilo’s name, and that I’m too stubborn to admit what I did.
I do admit that if I did accidentally misspell Shilo’s name, I would be too stubborn to admit what I had done. But I didn’t accidentally misspell Shilo’s name. I purposely misspelled Shilo’s name. Just like I purposely misspelled my name in fourth grade.
Besides, it’s not as if Shilo is upset about all of this. Not once, in all the years that I have been writing about Shilo, has she complained to me about the way I spell her name.
That’s what I like about dogs. They don’t care if you misspell their names.
Shilo has a friend she likes to stop and say “Hi” to on our morning walk. The friend is a sweet, mellow, golden retriever. In the morning, the golden retriever sits in his front yard and waits for Shilo and me to come by. The dog’s owner is a nice guy and told me that his dog’s name is Casey. Well, I think the dog’s name is Casey. His name could be K.C. like my friend Rob’s beagle who lives down the street from us.
But the thing is, Casey doesn’t seem to care that I’m not sure if his name is Casey or K.C., and if he doesn’t care then I don’t think I should either.
Unless his name is K. Cee.
I would hate that.
Local News
Mike Pound: Dogs cannot hear a silent ‘H’
- Local News
-
-
Old McDonald County Courthouse to hold grand opening celebration this weekend
As Jean Stratton-Bird made her way into the war memorial room at the Old McDonald County Courthouse on Thursday, she came face to face with the memories of her brother Eldon E. Stratton, who was lost in battle in 1943 during War World II. “He is finally home,” Stratton-Bird said.
-
Murder warrant issued in fatal domestic shooting
Police believe Doyle Handle shot himself after fatally shooting Dena Davenport during a domestic disturbance Thursday night at their residence in Grove. Officers responded to a 6:55 p.m. report of a shooting at the couple’s home on Wood Street on the southwest side of Grove and found Handle, 52, in the front yard with a gunshot wound to his jaw.
-
Local lawmakers review session accomplishments
Joplin area lawmakers cited accomplishments and disappointments in the just-concluded Missouri legislative session during a brunch Friday sponsored by the Neosho Chamber of Commerce. Measures benefiting veterans issues were addressed in the session that ended a week ago, along with work force and labor issues, lawmakers said.
-
Diamond High School band prepares for Liberty Bowl
Classes were winding down last week at Diamond High School, but not for members of the marching band. Instead, they dug out some new music and began their first rehearsals in preparation for their next major appearance — the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, which is scheduled for Dec. 31 in Memphis, Tenn.
-
Joplin photo rescue effort gears up to help Moore storm victims
A photo rescue operation based in Carthage that helped salvage and return thousands of pictures after the 2011 tornado in Joplin is reaching out to storm victims in Moore, Okla.
-
Stream sampling in Jasper County finds elevated levels of E. coli
Stream sampling conducted just before the Memorial Day weekend by the Jasper County Health Department found elevated levels of E. coli in every stream and river tested. Twenty-one sites were tested on May 22, following heavy rains earlier in the week.
-
Missouri Prairie Foundation plans BioBlitz for June 1-2 at prairies in Barton, Vernon counties
The Missouri Prairie Foundation’s Denison and Lattner prairies in Vernon and Barton counties will be the focus on Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, of the fourth annual Prairie BioBlitz.
-
Families, friends invited to honor veterans with flags this weekend
Small lengths of plastic pipe have been installed behind the headstones of veterans graves in Joplin cemeteries so that every veteran will have a flag on Memorial Day.
-
Mike Pound: Writing column like making pasta
It’s Friday afternoon as I’m typing this and my wife is worried. She’s not worried about what I’m typing; she gave up worrying about that a long time ago. Besides, my wife knows that even though I’m typing right now, I likely don’t have a clue what I’m writing.
-
Events, activities to honor veterans planned in Joplin area on Monday
No Memorial Day ceremonies are planned at Joplin cemeteries this year or at Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, but a number of other events are scheduled in cities around the region.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Old McDonald County Courthouse to hold grand opening celebration this weekend
