Well, I’m in trouble again.

You’d think I’d learn. Sooner or later you’d think I’d figure out that my life would be considerably less complicated and easier to handle if I’d just learn to keep my big mouth shut or at least not commit the more objectionable of my thoughts to print.
But then again let’s all keep in mind who we’re talking about here, gentle readers. Neither a nominee for sainthood nor a noble, self-sacrificing servant of the public good. Just a hardheaded, obnoxious old Kraut with a real prejudice against people who assume the rest of the world is as foolish, or self-important, or self-absorbed as are they.
Actually, I spring from a long line of H.O.O.K.s (Hardheaded, Obnoxious, Old Krauts), it’s just that I’m the first one to put himself into a position whereby persons of power and influence have the opportunity to notice when I shoot my mouth off..
I can hear the chorus of voices out there now. “Just get to the point, will you? Quit telling us what a horse’s rear you are. We already know that.”
All righty then, straight to the heart of the matter. Those of you who are regular readers of my semi-neurotic musings will recall a few weeks back when I chastised our one and only governor for having his wife interpret in sign language a speech he gave at the dedication of a building they named after him at the Arkansas School for the Blind. I’m sorry, but I thought doing a sign language interpretation of a speech to an audience of visually impaired people was a spectacularly goofy thing to do and I said so.
Well, dear friends, it seems that a copy of the Grand Prairie Herald containing that particular column found its way to the desk of Governor Huckabee’s media mastermind, Rex Nelson. Officially, his title is Executive Director of Policy and Communications, but I kind of like “Media Mastermind” better. Since I sincerely doubt that Bro. Nelson either is a regular reader of my column or reads every word of every newspaper published in the state, I must assume somebody pointed the column out to him.
To who ever directed Bro. Nelson’s attention my way, my sincere appreciation.
Now I believe I would be correct in thinking that Bro. Nelson and Governor Huckabee communicate regularly, so it would not seem to be outside the realm of possibility that our esteemed governor is at least casually aware that there is a H.O.O.K. in Hazen Arkansas who said he did something really stupid. I doubt this bothered him much since nothing else seems to. But I think we can rule out getting a donation from the governor’s discretionary fund to help with the completion of our new daycare center, especially since my daughter-in-law is scheduled to run the center, when and if it actually comes to fruition (sorry about that, Carrie).
Now then, how do I know that Rex Nelson read that particular edition of this column? Because he cut it out and sent it to me along with a note and one of his business cards.
One of the things I can deduce from this communication is that either Rex Nelson or one of his staff members has an adept touch with a pair of scissors. They cut the column out very neatly.
The only thing that really puzzled me (although not enough to inquire further about it) was Bro. Nelson’s note. It read, in its entirety, “Bill, This still doesn’t answer a key question: Did you use the photo? Rex.”