Now, use your best Virginia twang, just like Doc Holliday in the film, Tombstone, and say … “I’m yore huckleberry”. A verbal expression is a different way to touch history. I became curious about this quaint expression, so of course, I Googled it. This is an old fashioned phrase that means, I am the person for the job, I’m your man, or in my case, I’m the woman for the job. Before I went around saying it in public, I thought I had better check on the meaning. After all, it could mean something entirely different, such as, I’m your fruit tart! On the contrary, this is a fairly useful term, in response to a friendly request, although it will require explanation to those not familiar with it, or not enamored with the dialogue of the film, Tombstone.
I was fortunate to go adventuring again last week with my research pal, Christie. We ended up, again, in the South Park district of the Colorado mountains, poking around some ghost town buildings and another old cemetery. Each cemetery has its own personality, and I found this one to be more melancholy than others we’ve visited. Many of the graves were for children, and the hardships and heartaches of life in the 1880s at almost 10,000 feet elevation was palpable. Touching history is not always joyous. Regardless, be assured that whenever I have a chance to learn and experience those far away times and stories from the past, “I’m your huckleberry”.
Joyce Lohse, 5/26/09
www.lohseworks.com