2021: Creating a Lexicon of Future

W is for Wapenshaw

My father was born in Scotland and I grew up in Houston. Our family became part of the Houston Heather & Thistle Society so that we could learn about our Scottish heritage. The Highland Games was the annual ‘meeting of the clans’ in Houston and, as a kid, I could see that every event reflected the purpose of preparing for war: tossing the caber, the hammer throw, tug o’war and the shot put. Even the dances involved swords.

I recently learned the word Wapenshaw, which could certainly be applied to those Heather &…