FERGUSON: Using your head for more than a hat rack

Bonehead. Knucklehead. Dimwit. At some point in life, those appellations have all been assigned to me. I suspect they were all true when they were given. Worse still, I'm pretty sure they could still apply more often than I might want to admit. My dad came to watch me play soccer in high school. Over the years, I tried football, baseball and soccer. I was awful at all three, though least awful at soccer. But in this game, I used my head — yes, a header — to keep the ball in bounds. After the game, my dad made a legendary remark: 'See, you can use your head for something more than a hat rack.' Unfortunately, my teenage years were known for being a bonehead, a knucklehead and a dimwit. I did dumb things. I didn't count the cost beforehand. I didn't think things through. My frontal lobe was far from fully developed. How I wish those boneheaded days had ended as my teenage years drew to a close. But alas, I was often stubborn, obstinate, and headstrong. I thank the U.S. Navy for helping curb those impulses. Still, I found plenty of other opportunities as life progressed to be a bonehead. I made knuckleheaded decisions when money was concerned. I bought vehicles I shouldn't have. I used credit cards without constraint. I was a complete dimwit with finances.