My Courageous Nephew

My nephew Dallon is a stud. I hate that word, but I use it because most people would know what I mean. Dallon was born to be a soldier, and a good one. He's skilled, intelligent, he has grit, and he knows how to rough it. He is the antithesis of a panty waist. (see footnote). That's another term I don't normally use, but the occasion calls for it.

Dallon left for Afghanistan as an Army machine gunner yesterday. He and I have probably only ever spoken ten words to each other, but I love him. I told him so by message over the internet, and I hope he knows I mean it. It's hard not to feel anxiety about what he's going to face, but I believe that Heavenly Father will watch over him and help him do what he's there to do. We are praying for him. He's definitely a hero. ***FOOTNOTE: The usual meaning of the word pantywaist is 'an effeminate or weak man or boy; sissy'. Example: "I think my career has shown I'm not exactly a pantywaist" (John Wayne, in a 1971 interview). The original sense, though, referred to an article of clothing for children. This pantywaist was an undergarment consisting of short pants and a shirt that buttoned together at the waist. By metonymy, this children's garment was applied disparagingly to an older male who would never normally wear one. The literal use of pantywaist as an item of clothing dates from the 1920s. The 'sissy' sense is first recorded in the mid-1930s and became common rather quickly.