In Praise of Curmudgeons

Well, someone has to speak up for us old curmudgeons. Were it not for the groaning and growling, the moaning and howling of noisy old curmudgeons, who would bother to consider that anything at all was wrong? Someone must step up to mention that the latest teen heart throb seems to have the IQ of a turnip. Someone has to point out that the latest fashions are designed for skeletons and stick people. Someone has to tell everyone that the cup is half empty because there is a hole in the bottom.

I have been called a curmudgeon by some folks. Maybe.

Webster defines a curmudgeon as: a crusty, ill-tempered, and usually old man. Other definitions include:

• An ill-tempered person full of resentment and stubborn notions
• A surly or miserly person
• A crusty, irascible, cantankerous, old person full of stubborn ideas

Yeah, that's me -- although I prefer the adjectives sensitive, candid, and truthful. I guess it's all a matter of perceptions.

Mick

In Praise of Curmudgeons

I live in a world that may limit me,
Whether by custom, by fear, or by law,
If I don't try to be curmudgeonly -
Push others till their tempers are raw.
Although celebrity suffers a fool,
As long as charisma can pave the way
To the far, shallow end of the gene pool -
That swimmer has but a short time to stay.
For eventually that world will swell,
Past the darkling veil of hyperbole,
To touch the place where old curmudgeons dwell -
Who love beauty and creativity;
Who exhibit the wondrous quality,
Blending candor with great integrity.

Mick McKellar
November 2009