Requiem For A Rabblerouser

A personal heroine of mine passed away yesterday. I personally think she would have cared less about my use of the feminine in referring to her , as opposed to the more plebeian hero . I , on the other hand think it is underused and more than appropriate . I have always used the phrase ," I am easily seduced by a clever phrase," and she was one of my major flirts. She never used a five dollar word when simplicity accomplished the same result, and yet her wit was razor sharp to the end . Her public courage in the face of her illness was both heartbreaking and inspiring . She had little if any use for vanity and was fearless in showing the world the effects that her treatment bestowed upon her . Her theory was that of Cancer was going to try to kick her ass , she'd by Gawd kick back and take names . She claimed to have been born in " East Texas", and technically she would be stretching the truth . She was born in California but raised in River Oaks . River Oaks is to East Texas as Beverly Hills is to California. She couldn't have cared less about where a person was from, it was who they were and where they were headed that interested her more. She went to Smith as did her mother and yet never succumbed to the elite ideals that form the perfect Tri Delt or Alpha Phi . She understood that it was okay to be a liberal, to think out side the mainstream and was an advocate for pointing out the Emperor's lack of clothes when most would have demurred. Given the political climate and the gender bias of her early career, she is all the more remarkable for having stuck to her guns. Some politicians have permanent nicknames due to her and yet she had the grace and decency to always distinguish between the politician and the political office he or she held.

On a daily basis, somewhere where there are women gathered, someone is always designated the group's " Smart Ass", armed with a sharp tongue and a pithy reply. She is considered a Parton Saint of the " Smart Ass " , and shall be forever missed by this Smart Ass.

Rest In Peace Molly Ivins.

You may be assured that those who continue to call a dipstick a dipstick will always be there ready with a remark, a reply or a retort. We will call a spade a spade and a shrub a shrub . If those fail, we still have the cadre of cuss words in our verbal stockpile you were not above using when needed....even for the hell of it.

You have always been a heroine to me and shall continue to be one of my many " Gal's who made me laugh my ass off."

Say " Howdy" to Miss Ann when you see her.

Happy Trails


Aunty Pol