'Hog wrangler' suits former chief of staff

Mention politics to many Americans and their eyes glaze over.

But things are different in New Hampshire. People there seem to have fun with it.

Case in point is the recent honor given to former White House chief of staff John Sununu. He and his wife were recently named honorary hog wrangler for Hampton Falls. The titles came with a swearing-in ceremony and a badge.

The post dates back to the 1700s. The Sununus now have the traditional task of rounding up any loose pigs in town. The honorary title generally goes to an unsuspecting newcomer. The Sununus recently moved to the town.

Sununu served three terms as governor of New Hampshire and was chief of staff to President George H.W. Bush from 1989 to 1991.

Some politicians might resent this latest honor. But Sununu has taken it in stride like many other New Hampshire residents. "It's one of the great honors," Sununu told the Associate Press. "We got a badge and everything. If you need any hogs rounded up, call me."

It's enough to make Cape Girardeau residents envy the folks in Hampton Falls. After all, we don't have an official hog wrangler title in our fair city. If only we had thought of it, the mayor could have awarded such an honor to a deserving couple in time for the city's bicentennial celebration. Most city residents don't want to talk about local government budgets and tax matters.

I realize that it's just an honorary position in New Hampshire, but I believe most Americans would rather elect a hog wrangler than a congressman.

After all, pigs and politicians would be right at home with all the mud slinging.

Of course, none of that matters to my teenage daughter. She's more worried about the latest fashions and what's happening with her favorite celebrities than political honors.

In her Spanish class, she did a whole report on her imagined shopping trip with Johnny Depp. I hope she got a good grade on the assignment. That kind of imagination ought to be rewarded, although I'm not sure what Johnny Depp would think about being the subject of a high school report.

But these days, Becca has her sights set on being a sophomore. She's ready to put an end to her freshman year.

Of course, she can't wait for the start of the next school year because that means she'll be that much closer to being 16 and getting a driver's license. And, she figures, she'll be that much closer to getting her own set of wheels.

But, naturally, she's counting on her parents to provide her with transportation. I've suggested a bicycle would be an affordable mode of travel. Becca dismisses such talk as the ravings of a harried father.

For now, she has to make do with driving the van when her mother or I is riding shotgun.

Of course, Becca wants to drive all the time. She readily volunteers to drive us to the grocery store or any other destination on our itinerary. I never imagined that going to the grocery store would generate such enthusiasm on the part of a teenager.

Now, if only I could get her to have such interest in cleaning up her room.

I'd be happy to give her an honorary title if that would help. I'd love to give an honorary title to our younger daughter, Bailey, too. But I don't think even an honorary title could rescue her room from its current messy state.

Unlike Becca, Bailey probably would be honored to be a hog wrangler. But then she loves the outdoors. She gets excited about going to Girl Scout camps every summer.

The camps feature horses to ride. But there are no hogs to round up. That's a job best left to a former White House chief of staff or perhaps Johnny Depp in search of a laugh.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.