Hill-Topics
Who would've thunk it?
Our daughter, Bethany Dixon, 22, will graduate Saturday from Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Hallelujah!
That's one small step in her cap and gown; one giant leap for our bottom line.
As you can imagine, wife Claire and I are extremely proud of our first-born child. She has learned much and grown up plenty in the past four years, both in and out of the lecture hall.
Talking mostly by cell phone in areas prone to dropped calls, we followed Beth's college career, which started when we left her — and our broken hearts — in the parking lot outside a dorm at Missouri State University, in Springfield, Mo., and ends Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
Well, almost.
With the transfer from one school to another and the fact that she has pursued a double major in theater performance and political science (which sounds like the same course of study to me), Beth still has a few hours to take this summer.
Which is a good thing.
It will give us some time to line up the armored car to transport the diploma from the college to the nearest safety deposit box.
The cost of her liberal arts education? About $100,000.
And just think, two more young adult Overstakes are still attending college.
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Speaking of hilarious
Here's a funny one:
After graduating from high school, David moves away from home to study at university. One of his letters home reads:
Dear Father,
University i$ really great. I am making lot$ of friend$ and $tudying very hard. With all my $tuff, I $imply an't think of anything I need, $o if you would like, you can ju$t $end me a card, a$ I would love to hear from you.
Love, Your $on.
After receiving his son's letter, the father immediately replies by sending a letter back.
Dear David,
I kNOw that astroNOmy, ecoNOmics, and oceaNOgraphy are eNOugh to keep even an hoNOr student busy. Do NOt forget that the pursuit of kNOwledge is a NOble task, and you can never study eNOugh.
Love, Dad
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How about the multi-talented high school Class of 2007? Both Hillsboro High School and Goessel High School have plenty of reasons to be proud.
As you can read in this issue, this year's graduating classes are a special, special group, in the classroom, one the stage, and on the athletic field.
This year, we've written about all kinds of standouts, from award-winning artists, to state champion basketball teams, to students who scored over the top on their college entrance exams.
There are scores of other students who didn't make the headlines, but who will make contributions in the future.
After leaving high school on such a high trajectory, we are eager to see just how far these talented graduates will go.
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Speaking of uncanny talent, take my father-in-law, please!
"Grandpa Keith" Brewer turned 75 last week, but don't let three-quarters of a century fool you, this man can still fish!
How do I know this?
Keith and his wife, Betty, came to visit us Sunday for a Mother's Day celebration and fishing expedition in the small pond across the street from our house.
It's the same pond that retains runoff water and sump-pump water, and which nearly dried up a few months ago, when we needed so much rain.
I've seen youngsters fishing in the pond, and some guys in pickups drop a line on their way home from work, but I hadn't seen a single fish taken from that pond, until "Mr. I can catch anything, anywhere, anytime" Keith came along.
It was all Claire's idea for us to go fishing. "It will be fun," she said. "Dad will enjoy it."
A few years ago, I was somewhat of a fanatic farm pond bass fisherman. I whiled away the hours plopping plastic worms into holes, and cranking spinner baits past fallen logs.
I caught an eight and a half pound bass in a farm pond in Bourbon County. We kept the fish in the family freezer wrapped in layers of newspaper for about three years, until I decided I was never going to have it stuffed and mounted, and threw it out. It was my angling achievement of a lifetime.
Keith is an ultra-light, Mepps spinner kind of fisherman. He doesn't catch fish, he coaxes them gently to the hook.
And then laughs.
By the time I got a worm rig tied to my fishing pole Sunday, Keith had laughed twice, catching and releasing two large mouth bass, weighing only about a pound, but considering we were fishing in a pond that supposedly had no fish, the feat was as impressive as landing a couple of farm pond marlin.
I was still twisting my fishing line around the hook seven times (for good luck), when Claire let out a yelp and pulled out a small bass.
"I was trying to hit a turtle with my lure, and a fish jumped on the line!" she said.
I wasn't upset, really.
Keith walked around the bank of the pond, and caught a half dozen fish in about a half an hour. I caught nothing. But, like I said, there weren't any fish in that pond, anyway.
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Speaking of smarts
Here's one to chew on:
It's graduation day, and everybody's going to get their diploma but Jon. At the assembly, the entire senior class stands up and shouts "Let Jon graduate, let Jon graduate!"
The principal agrees to give Jon one last chance. "If I have five apples in my right hand and five in my left hand, Jon, how many apples do I have?" he asked.
Jon thought long and hard and then said: "Ten."
The entire senior class stood up and shouted "Give Jon another chance! Give Jon another chance!"
— GRANT OVERSTAKE
