A man of few words

Frank and Ernest today spoof an important First Amendment right by turning “assembly” into “dissembly,” which isn’t really a word.

A dissembler is someone who hides his or her true feelings or motives, often with excessive and/or flowery language. There are admirable dissemblers, such as Emmuska Orczy’s Scarlet Pimpernel, and then there are less-than-admirable dissemblers, such as the orator in the cartoon above.

While my late father would have enjoyed this cartoon, he’d have used a barnyard epithet starting with “bull” to describe the orator. Dad didn’t have much patience with dissemblers, because he was their polar opposite. He listened more than he talked, but when he did speak, his words had weight.

Dad was a respected, successful businessman. His handshake was solid, and when he gave his word, he kept it.

Probably the only time Dad didn’t mind hanging around dissemblers was over a card table. While they were bantering, he’d be counting cards, assessing their styles of play and judging the strength of his own hand against what he deduced was in theirs. His opponents may have talked a good game, but more often than not, the guy raking in the chips was Dad.

Fortunately, Dad took time to teach me a few card games. I’m deeply grateful that he helped me attain some card sense, because in the process he also passed on many valuable life lessons.

Dad taught me how essential it is to play the cards that are dealt, understand that a bad hand can be turned into a good one, wait for just the right time to run the deck and be confident that life deals a new hand each and every day. Oh, and to tolerate “bull--------“ for only so long.

English actor Fred Terry played The Scarlet Pimpernel in 1905.
Photo of postcard courtesy of Wikipedia

Photo special to the Sentinel