Spunk

Common society knows the odorous little mammals who characteristically sport a white stripe down their black coats as “spunks”. But Grandma had other ideas, decidedly pronouncing them to be “skunks,” with a k. So terribly stubborn, she would never allow me to talk of spunks without “correcting” me. But I stayed true to my language, never giving her the pleasure of hearing that k instead of the p. It’s such a heated debate between us, that I hesitate to write about it, even after a decade’s silence, for fear of disturbing her peace. But right is right, and wrong, wrong.