I Won't Short Shrift Summer, I Promise!
News from Town and Gifts for Everyone
Shrift.
What a weird word, right? I always assumed it originated in the kitchen with bread loaves cut short. As in, “Granny short shrifted the bread again.”
Well, she might’ve done that, and the common connotation of the phrase is to “short change” something. But it turns out shrift is derived from shriven, as in absolved of sin.
In Shakespeare’s time it literally meant to keep your confession short, as Lord Hastings found out when Sir Richard Ratcliffe told him to “Make a short shrift” as the king “longs to see your head.”1
I certainly hope none of you dear readers will be calling for my head as I make this confession: I’m making short shrift of Town Character this summer. Maybe you’ve already noticed.
But lest you feel cheated by such a short loaf (?), I offer you these three consolations:
First, I’ll Be Hanging Around the House.
I’m pouring extra time into my day job directing The Row House Forum in Lancaster, PA.
There’s a fair bit of overlap between the topics I bring up in T.C. and the ones we address at TRH as we attempt to engage culture with faith in the public realm.
If you’re into that sort of thing, good news: I will continue writing my permeability column for TRH through the summer. I’d be honored if you checked it out!
Second, I’ll Be in Town.
Though I’m taking a small break from long form writing, you can catch the tiny dust devils I stir up on my Instagram feed which is called, you guessed it, Town Character.
I will continue to feature “towns, characters, and curiosities” through original photography, and I promise to pump up the captions. You can easily follow me with this link or QR code, and thank you kindly:
Third, Granny Kept the Scraps.
I have them, and I’ll share some with you.
As I have time, I’ll send out some pre-fab writings from my coffers. They may include wacky Watsontown memories, poetry, and other marginalia you simply can’t buy in any store.
If you’re one of my paid subscribers you’ll have full access to these as a small way to thank you for encouraging my writing.
The rest of you will have to settle for short shrift. As in you’ll see a paywall. Who knows? Maybe I’ll tempt a few of you to underwrite my writing as well.
I just returned from Ocean City, NJ* and am worn out from body surfing, boardwalk biking (a tad too fast), and jogging barefooted on the bearch. Hey, we all have our hobbies!
May you enjoy these long, hot summer days too, however you chose to cool off. 💧🐳⛲️ And thanks for your vital contribution to The Town!
Cheers,
Tom Becker, Certified Town Character & Granny’s Favorite Kid
*I’m writing from my mother-in-law’s house in Salem, NJ. If you’re new to Town Character, check out this peice I wrote about her beloved small town: