by Clint Younts

Last week, as I was breaking thick ice in the cows’ water trough, standing in 7 inches of snow, I began to wonder if all the talk about global warming is a bunch of hot air. It was 2 degrees one morning during that polar invasion, or what I refer to as the Second War of Northern Aggression. Global warming was not evident that day or several days following. I’m no climatologist, but I feel comfortable in saying it was a tad chilly last week.

Being a man of science and having a moderate amount of knowledge in meteorology, I tend to trust the scientific community and experts in the field of climatology. I don’t always trust the TV weather prognosticators, although some are quite good. When I heard that the polar vortex was coming our way, I trusted the scientists and proceeded to prepare for a deep freeze.

I added more layers of insulation to the pipes in my pump house and placed a heater in there. I wrapped faucets and rigged up a second water trough with a hose that was trickling water. I collected over 30 gallons of water just in case we lost power. We stocked up on food and medicinal elixirs to ward off the rigors. I trusted the experts and we got through the Blizzard of ’21 just fine.

So, you might be wondering if I believe in the concept of global warming. Yes, I still do. Even when I had icicles hanging from my nostrils as I was taking an ax to the water trough, I have seen the data and studied the trends in weather over the past few decades. There have been increasingly more hurricanes, droughts and wildfires, and there is evidence of the shrinkage of the polar ice cap. I trust scientific findings more than some fella on a barstool saying this is a normal weather pattern.

I also trust medical experts. They are an educated lot, experienced in medical research and treating illness. When a vaccine is created that will keep me on this side of the dirt, I am happy to roll up my sleeve for a shot. Oh, there are some folks who watched too many episodes of Gray’s Anatomy and think they’re experts, but I don’t trust of those wack-a-doodles.

There are others that I trust, but unfortunately, there are scores of folks I distrust, too. I don’t trust 90% of the drivers out on the roads. Many continue to text while flying down the highway. No one seems to know how to use their blinkers or why they should turn on their headlights in fog. And then there are some drivers who are just complete idiots and a hazard to others.

I don’t trust many politicians. Oh, there are some dandy government officials, mostly on the local level, but there is a mess of corrupt politicians in both parties that have caused me to lose trust in our state and federal government. It doesn’t help when our great state is dealing with a horrible crisis and a certain senatorial invertebrate packs a bag and runs off to Mexico.

I don’t trust rich people. I’m sure some are fine folks, but I don’t trust people who never did an ounce of physical labor. If you want to gain my trust, you need to have callused hands and at least one black fingernail that found its way between a hammer and a board.

I trust most bartenders to make a good drink, but I don’t trust those micro-brewers who add weird fruit and nuts to their craft beers.

I don’t trust any cable or satellite TV companies who jack up their prices a month after you acquire their services.

I don’t trust anyone I see walking down a store aisle who’s not wearing a mask. It’s possible they aren’t carrying the virus, but I just don’t trust their health or mental status.

Y’all might think I have trust issues, but I trust more folks than I distrust. I trust most of y’all will continue reading my column. I trust my wife will keep my beer fridge stocked. I trust medical experts will keep me alive for a while longer. And, most importantly, in God I trust.