Columns

August has always been my least favorite month, and I suspect I am not alone.
The experts tell us that its hot, humid weather makes this the most physically stressful month of the year in south Louisiana. August temperatures get as warm as the body’s temperature, or warmer. That means people who work or play outside can’t depend on the air around them to cool them. That makes our bodies work harder to cool themselves — and I can testify that the older the body, the harder the work.

There are plenty of old customs that have vanished over the years. Years ago, it was commonplace for a man to remove his hat before entering a home or building. Hats were not worn indoors. That custom no longer exist today. Long ago before telephones were commonplace and when la vieille Azema, a mid-wife, delivered a baby, the proud papa would take down his shotgun from the rack above the door and fire it to announce the arrival. Bang! Bang! Un bal pour une fille; deux bals pour un garçon. Bang! Bang! (One round for a girl, two rounds for a boy.)

There’s a big difference between wisdom and knowledge. Understanding this is a significant factor in how much you accomplish. What you know, and how you apply it, can be very different. Being wise is much more than being knowledgeable.
Knowledge is the accumulation of information through experience, observation, study, and investigation. Knowledge is more than opinion, conjecture, or consensus. Knowledge is provable and accurate.