Cal.E. did not call me yesterday, but she is calling me right now. It is a little early, so I hope nothing is wrong. I guess I should answer the phone and find out.
C.: Hi, d.c, how are you?
d.: I am okay, Cal.E. I was just a little concerned that you did not call me yesterday. What is going on in West Texas?
C.: I’m sorry, d.c. I was just a little shaken yesterday.
d.: What happened?
C.: Well, the warden was driving the speed limit, and a car with an out-of-state tag decided that he must pass, even though it was a two-lane road and there was a double yellow line. The warden slowed down to let him in. He still made an obscene gesture at the warden as he passed us. The warden was a little shaken, so he decided that it would be a good time to stop and get gas. He stopped at the next gas station. The car in front of us must have seen him put on his blinker, because he turned into the same gas station, even though he did not need gas or food. He proceeded to use profane language with the warden until we left the gas station. The puppy and I were concerned for Lucia’s safety, so we stayed with her in the car. It was scary because that is the way people talk in prison and rehab facilities. Most are not mentally stable. I am a CAT and I have a better command of the English language than he did.
The man did not even buy anything from the gas station. That means that he was NOT helping pay for the road he was using. I guess he felt entitled, even though he didn’t help pay for the road.
d.: It sounds like a harrowing experience. What happened then, Cal.E.?
C.: The warden was shaken. He did not feel as if he should keep driving, so we found a motel that let pets stay in it. He then had a good talk with Lucia about what had happened.
d.: What did he say?
C.: He just told Lucia that it was a good example of why he did not let her use such language. Being a single parent, he is doing his best to raise her by himself. He just wants what is best for her.
d.: Not letting her use certain words sounds like censorship to me, Cal.E.
C.: not really, d.c. If Lucia uses the correct terminology, (as an educated person, you can use your imagination) not profanity for those words, he lets it slide. He says that he listens to prisoners use profanity all day at work. He does NOT want to come home and listen to it at home, too.
d.: It still sounds a little like censorship to me.
C.: No, D.C. He lets her advocate for her favorite political party or restaurant without saying a word. If she wants to rail against the other political party, he lets her do that, too, as long as she does not use profanity.
d.: What is the big deal with using profanity? It is all over T.V. and social media. It seems to me that everyone uses profanity these days.
C.: Yes, that is an accurate statement, I guess. But the warden wants his daughter to sound like she has a better command of the English language than a prisoner with a third-grade education. Using proper terminology helps convince others that one is well educated. It also indicates that one has a better command of the English language than someone who never even finished grade school. He lets her express herself with proper terminology, but makes her NOT talk for several hours if she uses profanity. That allows her to think about what she has said, and how she can say it properly the next time she talks.
d.: It sounds like the warden runs a tight ship. He sounds like a dictator to me, Cal.E.
C.: No, d.c. I don’t think so. He even helped her make a sign for her lemonade stand, even though most of the hot weather had passed. She wanted to list the ingredients the customer would know what s/he was buying.
The warden wanted the proper terminology for the ingredients on that sign, too. As you may have guessed, the lemonade stand did not do well. I suppose most people just do NOT want to know the truth.
d.: So, he lets his daughter do as she wishes, like an anarchist, then?
C.: Not really, d.c. I will admit there is a fine line between enough freedom and anarchy. Too many rules are bad, too. I am glad that I am a cat, and do not have to decide what is right and what is wrong. It is a difficult decision for anyone to make without proper guidance. The warden is just doing what he thinks is right for his daughter. I respect that.
d.: Maybe you ARE in the right place, then Cal.E. I will check in with you tomorrow and continue with the next chapter of “Beyond the Thirteenth Mile, The Iron Man Chronicles.”
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