The purpose of an educational system is simple: to educate our youth. To achieve academic excellence. To provide physical education and training To prepare young minds for the world of tomorrow.
But there is a deeper purpose, one that you won't find stated in the school mission statement, one that doesn't even need to be spoken, it should be clearly understood.
Safety. The safety and protection of our most precious. Our children.

Don't tell my Granny, but when it comes to laziness I admit I'm something of an expert these days.
Just ask my wife and kid. The other day the family dog thought I had dropped dead on the couch during a Married With Children marathon and tried to dig a hole and bury me.
But surprisingly, no one consulted me when they did a study on laziness and found that South Carolinians are among the laziest people in the United States.

I was ashamed.
For once, I am ashamed to be a part of Hampton County.
Monday night, Hampton County had the opportunity to take another step closer to doing something so wonderful for our community that I can't even wrap my mind around it.
I can't even come close to fully imagining how many lives and generations could be uplifted by this project, to be funded by a single penny.

Call it years and years of ill-bred backwoods raisings. Or call it a guilty conscience. But anytime I have a close encounter with a game warden I break out into a cold sweat and try to bolt for the nearest pickup truck. The latest encounter during my vacation this weekend was certainly no exception.

I'm going on vacation this week, and I'm packing only the essentials.
I'm taking the Wii game. And maybe the wife and kid, but only because I need extra players.
Just so you know, we're headed to the lake for a four-day weekend supposedly spent eating boiled peanuts on the dock while doing lots of fishing. But first, I plan to stop by the closest Wal-Mart for that new Bass Masters fishing game, complete with the Wii controller that looks and feels like a real fishing rod.

Psst. I have a secret to tell you. Come closer.
But first, you must promise not to tell anyone. It's kind of embarrassing. Promise? Ready to hear it?
My wife is afraid of roaches. Deathly afraid. Especially the big, scary ones. And don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, ladies.
It only takes a glimpse of one roach, one lonely bug, to end a peaceful afternoon spent watching World Cup soccer.

Maybe you missed it in the midst of all the festival excitement, but a miraculous event occurred here in Hampton County on Saturday.
Maybe it was just for one day, but from Both Sides of the Swamp Hampton County came together as a community of one.
Maybe it was a one-time fluke, but folks from every town and community in the glorious Watermelon Capital of the World came together with the sole purpose of showcasing Hampton County, its youth, its athletes, and its traditions during the televised Watermelon Festival parade.

Dear Editor,

As everyone who pays the least attention to the local news knows, both the town of Varnville and Hampton and also Hampton County are experiencing hard financial times. The county is presently passing fees on to the towns, who cannot afford them. Ultimately we, the taxpayers, will have to should these burdens through higher taxes and fees.

It has come to my attention that some of you men out there just don't know how to treat your wives.
I know this because your angry wife told my friend's wife, who then told my wife (and probably every other wife in the beauty parlor) and then my wife came home and I had to listen to her talk about it for an hour and a half during the College World Series.

A recent conversation captivated my attention enough to write this week's column.
I was asked if I spoke French, Spanish or German. I enthusiastically responded, yes and no.
I was proud that I remembered one or two words in French, a little more in Spanish, but unfortunately, I didn't know any German.
Being an avid reader and lifelong learner, the question soon became a personal challenge.