SMART TALK

by Dr. Shirley Glibb



WALKIN'S WELCOME: I needed a cut and perm, so on my day off, I went into downtown Underbelly, Texas to the Fluff 'n' Puff Salon. Imagine my distress at seeing a sign in the front window saying Walkin's Welcome.

Mind you, I'd had a rough week at the Center for English as a First Language treating patients who thought Apple's For Sale was acceptable, so I was a little edgy, I have to say.

Now, I love Barbie Johnson, the stylist. She's a great person, not too nosy, really nice to chat with, and she does fine work with hair. So I became one of the day's walkins. I had a pleasant, relaxing time and came out happy with my do. And I said nothing about her prominently displayed faux pax.

But gosh darn it, the hardworking teachers at both Smith Middle School and Wesson High in Underbelly do a great job teaching what a apostrophe does. In general, it indicates possession, as in Barbie's salon, or letters left out, as in I'd for I had. That's about it.

For plurals, simple: Just add an S, as in apples and walkins. No need to make life complicated.

Maybe Barbie, like many, didn't understand that English class could help make her, well, classy.

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