On Ornery

I'm an ornery person, and proudly so. The word "ornery" typically has negative connotations, so lest you judge me for simply being a grumpy-ass bitch, let me explain why I actually bear it as a positive and even honorable descriptor.

I playfully referred to a much-loved waitress in a local restaurant as "ornery" recently, which resulted in a conversation with some friends about the true meaning of orneriness. I stated my understanding of "good ornery" and "bad ornery," and one friend in particular disagreed that there even is such a thing as "good ornery." So I looked it up on my handy-dandy Blackjack in the car, and sadly the Dictionary.com definition supported her mostly negative rendition of the word with a prolific list of unpleasant qualities:

or·ner·y / [awr-nuh-ree]
–adjective, -ner·i·er, -ner·i·est. Dialect.
1. ugly and unpleasant in disposition or temper: No one can get along with my ornery cousin.
2. stubborn: I can't do a thing with that ornery mule.
3. low or vile.
4. inferior or common; ordinary.
[Origin: 1790–1800; contr. of ordinary]
—Synonyms 1. mean, ill-tempered, ill-natured, surly, testy.
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006
or·ner·y (ôr'n?-re) adj. or·ner·i·er, or·ner·i·est Mean-spirited, disagreeable, and contrary in disposition; cantankerous. [Alteration of ordinary.]
or'ner·i·ness' n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

ornery
1816, Amer.Eng. dialectal contraction of ordinary. "Commonplace," hence "of poor quality, coarse, ugly." By c.1860 the sense had evolved to "mean, cantankerous."
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

ornery
adjective
having a difficult and contrary disposition; "a cantankerous and venomous-tongued old lady"- Dorothy Sayers [syn: cantankerous]
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

I had just convinced the waitress, a non-native English speaker, that orneriness was an admirable quality, so after reading these various disturbing definitions, I cringed to imagine her looking it up in a dictionary and thinking that I was some sick, self-righteous sadist.

In spite of this negative propaganda against orneriness, I still contend that it can be a positive attribute and argue that the dictionary definition should be revised to include this broader understanding and recognition of alternative cultural uses of the term. Rather than dichotomize it into a dualistic opposition of "good ornery" and "bad ornery" however, I would frame it more in terms of "good-natured" orneriness and "ill-tempered" orneriness.

When I was growing up, ornery was mostly used in the negative sense. If my parents said I was being ornery, they usually meant that I was being stubbornly disobedient. "Ornery" was also frequently used as a synonym for "lazy," which is not documented in a dictionary and ironically supports my own argument that the word has connotations beyond the standard definition. "Ornery" as disagreeable or lazy was also typically applied to support the stereotype of certain classes of people such as "white-trash" or racial minorities.

My understanding of this quality in myself and others has evolved over time to the point that I use the term mostly in the positive sense to indicate my admiration of one's unapologetic self-awareness and tongue-in-cheek critique of taking oneself or others too seriously. I'm not sure when exactly I began to understand that the word "ornery" actually alluded to positive qualities that society classifies negatively in order to suppress individual expression, creativity, and assertiveness; but I believe that it is directly related to its use as a derogatory term to describe individuals and groups that are socially, economically, or otherwise oppressed, underprivileged, and/or deprived of equal access to status and capital. As such, I see orneriness as an almost essential quality for healthy rebellion, activism, and solidarity across seemingly divergent identities.
As an ornery person, I admire this quality in myself and others, and I tend to get along with ornery people. In my search for supporting cultural evidence that good-natured orneriness exists, I stumbled upon a the Ornery American website, which includes a weekly "World Watch" column by Orson Scott Card (an amazing sci-fi author) as well as a detailed explanation of "Who is the Ornery American?" Following are some persuasive excerpts in support of my ornery premise:

The word "ornery" began as "ordinary." In the days when you were either of the"gentle" class or merely "ordinary," parents would say to their stubborn children when they refused to do as they were told, "Don't be so ordin'ry."

On this website, we look for the voices of those Ornery Americans -- the common folk who don't pretend to be intellectuals or elite in any other way, but who are just stubborn enough to think that we ordinary folk are the ones to whom this nation was entrusted from the start.

1. We aren't impressed by your credentials, Dr. This or Senator That. We aren't going to take your word for it, we're going to think it through for ourselves.
2. We don't like being spun. That doesn't mean we aren't sometimes fooled by the way reporters slant their stories, but when we find out how we've been manipulated, we get a little mad and we refuse to trust that writer, commentator, that magazine, that newspaper, that news network, or that politician again.
3. We think America is larger and more important than our self-interest. You can't buy our integrity with a boomtown economy, and we won't let you shame our country just to avoid risking American lives. We Americans have never been afraid to make sacrifices for a worthy cause.
4. We believe that character matters -- our own character, the character of our leaders, and the character of our nation as a whole. We don't like bullies and cowards, liars and hypocrites, and we don't appreciate it when our leaders make our nation behave as if that were what Americans are.
5. We'll forgive your misdeeds, but only if you apologize sincerely and never do it again. Our trust, once betrayed, is not lightly restored.

The Ornery American seems particularly focused on a sort of ornery political sensibility, which I referred to in my own pontification and reconception of the word. But what about the more playful aspects that are essential for well-rounded orneriness? That's where the
Ornery Librarian (whose blog tagline is "…because I am grumpy, like to read, and have too much time on my hands") illuminates the way. For example, the following blog review:

Blog, Entertaining and Witty
Librarian's Guide to Etiquette
Oh, I'll admit it, I loves me some librarian humor. And not even in that ironic way of the hipster. No, I've been known to bust a gut over a good Dewey joke. So, this blog of etiquette tips for librarians is naturally right up my alley. Caustic and clever, the entries have a generous dose of sarcasm. An example:"After interviewing for a library job, it
is customary to send thank you notes to the individual search committee members.
If you suspect that there's a chance you won't get the job and you plan to send
a follow-up voodoo death curse, be sure to collect a strand of hair from each of
the committee members during the interview." (Librarian's Guide to
Etiquette, 12/12/06)
My only complaint is that updates are sporadic. But, its usually worth the wait.bottom line: alarmingly clever librarian humor

If that's not convincing enough, there is also an Ornery Woman blog, whose tagline is: "Women bloggers extending the middle finger to the majority of the world." Ornery Woman is not an individual person but a collective "group of female bloggers whose backgrounds are both in fiction and expository writing. Although we all have varied interests, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and writing styles, we all share something in common: a desire to get a little something off our chests."

Why have I gone so long without realizing that there is clearly a good-natured ornery community of naysayers in response to the naysayers? There are many more good and ornery examples that can be discovered by a simple Google search, many of which are personal musings and manifestos purporting orneriness as a positive attribute. So again I assert, in my good-natured ornery way, that there is ample evidence that the traditional conception of orneriness is worthy of revision.

Therefore, I offer the following definition, which also reflects my primary personal use of the term, as an alternative cultural vision of orneriness in service of the greater good:

ornery adj.
1. irreverent, witty
2. blunt, honest, forthright
3. playful, mischievous, teasing
4. crafty, wily, sneaky

While none of these individual descriptors stand alone as a complete synonym for "ornery," the totality of this vision represents the existence of an ornery disposition that questions authority, acknowledges personal power, and employs prankster (rather than gangster) methods of vigilante justice. So I encourage you to evaluate your own orneriness and whether you use it with good-natured or ill-tempered intentions; observe good-natured orneriness in others and respect it as a viable and valuable social skill; and educate your community about the vast network of ornery do-gooders who epitomize the only real hope for positive change in an ill-tempered world.

[Backposted from MySpace 4/24/07]

Talking Tobacco

Current mood: grateful

I had the distinct pleasure and privilege to drive Winona LaDuke to the airport last night. She was tired and low-key, but we enjoyed discussing the local culture and landscape. She kept pointing out tobacco barns with interest, and I addressed some of the issues related to Kentucky's traditionally tobacco-based agriculture, emerging agricultural trends supported by tobacco-settlement money, and the most recent push in Madison County to ban smoking in all public spaces (including privately-owned businesses).

Obviously, tobacco production has been a mixed blessing for Kentucky.  It's really hard with relatively little economic payback for individual farmers, but it's been the state's number one cash-crop for a long time (if you don't count its nefarious equivalent or horses, both of which are troublesome "agricultural" issues). But this particular monoculture has long been a family tradition in many communities. Because it's backbreaking and unrewarding work, fewer and fewer native Kentuckians want to do it, so the influx of Hispanic migrant workers has changed both the cultural and agricultural landscape of tobacco farming. 

Kentucky also has the highest per capita rate of smokers of any state in the nation. As a smoker, I find this both amusing and disturbing because our narrowly defined agricultural economy has basically enabled what could be viewed as a health epidemic. My personal habit of smoking is not directly related to tobacco farming per se, but I grew up with a smoker and my grandparents leased their tobacco base to other farmers. So it's always been a fixture in my life. My mother also blessed me with an awareness that tobacco is a traditional Native American plant used as a sacred herb for ritual and relationships. While my recent resumption of the smoking habit was stress-related, I am a keen observer of my habit, try to use it in conscious moderation, and view it as an important ritual in my life.

So is tobacco a blessing or a curse for Kentucky? I see so much elitism in the dispersement of tobacco settlement money for projects that will impact so few of the truly rural family farmers. For example, how many people in Eastern Kentucky or other rural communities will actually benefit from vineyards as alternative agriculture? Both the producing and consuming beneficiaries of this trend are predominantly affluent people. I love what "Acres of Land" is doing with their wine and local food production and restaurant, but I'm privileged enough to enjoy the fruits of their privileged labor.

It's also frustrating for me to see tobacco demonized socially when it's roots are so sacred. The fact that the Madison County Board of Health has taken it upon themselves to mandate a smoking ban within 25 feet of any entrance to a public building seems like fascism to me. I don't mind if a business owner wants to create a non-smoking establishment, and I will gladly oblige this restriction. But I think it should be likewise the prerogative of a business-owner to allow smoking if they choose.

During a recent smoke break at work, I was expounding upon the actual health benefits of smoking. First of all, we take the breaks we're given. So few people actually take their legally-sanctioned work breaks, and smoking seems to legitimate it to a certain degree. Ironically, we also get a lot more fresh air and exercise than our non-smoking colleagues during the work day. And perhaps most rewarding for me personally is the ritual that we share and the resulting morale boost we receive from this simple interaction.

Ultimately, tobacco is a topic that is discussed widely on the public front, but this discourse is primarily limited to defining it as a health risk for individuals and an economic liability for the Commonwealth. There is a much more comprehensive and creative conversation to be had, and I was fortunate to share some of my multivalent thoughts with Winona LaDuke.

Our discussion was much more abbreviated than what I've articulated here; however, as a result of our discussion, she pulled out a pouch of American Spirit tobacco and said, "I'm a tobacco user, too; I just don't smoke it." And she took out small handful, cupped it in her palm, and whispered a blessing over it. Then, she rolled down the window and threw the shreds of tobacco into the wind, smiled, and said, "There."

Aho...

[Backposted from MySpace 3/16/07]

Haggard in Hilton Head

After 9 long hours, we made it to ye olde fancy schmancy Hilton Head. I'm still feelin' a little queasy after overdoin' it a bit Friday night; but I'm alive. I just had dinner downstairs where numerous affluent white-haired couples were having too much fun singing along to the cheesy easy-listening standards with the K-tel songstress at the grand piano. I'm a little wigged out by the whole Marriot-at-Hilton-Head scene so far, though I am looking forward to having most of the day tomorrow to do what I want (and I'm hoping for some sunshine). Wonder if anyone around here knows how to play hacky-sack?!

 

[Backposted from MySpace 10/28/06]

 

  

Biathlon Numero Dos

I'm preparing for the second of my travel/conference biathlons this semester, but I'm afraid I'm losing my stamina. The pace of meetings, presentations, field trips is dizzying but engaging, invigorating yet exhausting. Being so scattered, literally and figuratively, I'm beginning to lose sight of my desk, which is drowning in a sea of paper, piles of miscellenousness that threaten to overflow the physical limitations of its surface area. No, I stand corrected: there are already two small stacks of paper on the floor beginning a new cycle of boundless procreation.

Tomorrow will be consumed by an all-day meeting, which I will be attending on behalf of someone else and myself, so I'm professionally tasked with an intentional split-personality. Then I leave Sunday morning for a conference and likely won't return until Wednesday. Then I'll be back on campus to facilitate a conversation about "Faith and Ecology" and will depart again Friday afternoon for the "Engaging Our World" conference, which lasts until Sunday afternoon.

Given the fact that I've (along with almost everyone I know) had a mostly shitty week,* I will force myself to dwell on some of the more positive aspects of my impending biathlon... (1) Free trip to Hilton Head ('nuff said); (2) free lunch next Thursday, (3) free place to stay in L'ville with one of my favoritest people, as well as (4) an opportunity to see one of my best buds from high school that I recently reconnected with at my 15-year reunion.

Okay, I can even acknowledge a few bright spots in the current reality I'm experiencing... (1) Serendipitous and successful (so far) opportunity to play cupid and facilitate a budding friendship with some love potential, (2) an actual sit-down conversation with Mr. Jubilee that was friendly as well as professional--a good sign that an amicable (if not full reconstitution of our previous) relationship is possible, and (3) multiple expressions of appreciation for the kind and amount of work that I do.

* Footnote about the shitty week: Lest anyone accuse me of being an optimist... (1) Monday absolutely and totally sucked, (2) Tuesday was almost back-to-back meetings, one of which was good practice for maintaining professional composure in a very public place with someone I wanted to mop the floor with at the time, and (3) could it be any more fuckin' gloomy or cold in October, which is usually my favorite month of the year?!

It is also a little troubling that most of my life, thoughts, commentary revolves around work. I really do try to nurture myself in other ways, but my current momentum does not lend itself to consistent success in this area. I've totally been slacking on my "bodysculpting" class, once a twice-a-week activity and now a not-for-weeks activity; while I've managed to take my camera with me on several of my recent jaunts, I haven't actually done anything with it (except for post those awesome pool shots for B. Love, of which he made immediate and productive use); and my social life, well, there's nothing much to say there except that the Fisherking is one patient and steadfast brother/hermit-in-arms to be my best buddy right now and put up with the likes of me.

[Backposted from MySpace 10/26/06]

 

Monday Bloody Monday

Current mood: tired

The week has only just begun, and I'm tired... I'm tired of people passing off projects that they think I should be doing when my own goddamn to-do list is big enough. I'm tired of my roller coaster of emotions. I'm tired of waiting on my retirement loan for the closing of the Elm Street house. I'm tired of my chronic head/neck/shoulder pain and not resting/sleeping worth shit. I'm tired of Aunt Flo' always coming to visit on a fuckin' Monday morning. I'm tired of being cynical and pessimistic about human beings (including myself). As Tom Petty says (sings), "I'm so tired of being tired, sure as night will follow day.  Most the things I worry 'bout, never happen anyway."  Yeah well, I'm working on that ying-yang thang, but I also find that circle/cycle tiring at times.

[Backposted from 10/22/06] 

 

Jubilee

Current mood: relieved

Monday has never been like this.  I just received an unsolicited hug from someone I thought would never speak to me again.  What great cosmic shift has transpired to make this miracle possible?  He called it Jubilee.  I'm not only grateful for such an unexpectedly affirming start of my week but the life-altering change in my brain chemistry as well.  "Maybe I'm cray-zeh... possibly..."

[Backposted from MySpace 10/16/06]

 

Wag the Blog

Current mood: moody

"Cigarettes and chocolate milk...these are just a couple of my cravings..."  To be more accurate, I don't really care for chocolate milk, but after almost 3 weeks of nicotine abstinence, I fell off the wagon and have had a few smokes.   Three last Thursday at a brewery in Tempe, one last night, and one after my presentation this morning.

The purpose of this online confession?  It seems one benefit of the blahg is to mass-communicate those substantial milestones in one's life, both accomplishments and defeats.  I'm still figuring out which ones warrant blogitude and which ones are best left to myself.  The temptation is to say too much simply because I can, but then that is a temptation that I rarely give in to in physical reality; so there again the comfort of spacial distance is a seductive opportunity to ignore my tendency of non-disclosure.  I think I'll have another smoke..."And then there's those other things...which for several reasons we won't mention."

[Backposted from MySpace 10/10/06]