Scalawags & Vagabonds

These words have passed through my mind in the last day or so. I think I was especially attached to the "ag" sound.

Scalawag: a person who behaves badly but in an amusingly mischievous rather than harmful way; a rascal. Sadly, it's origin in unknown!

Vagabond: a person who wanders from place to place without a home or job; a rascal or rogue. This one is from Middle English, from Old French or Latin, vagabundus, from vagari, "wander."

What a coincidence that both of these words have a synonym of rascal. What another delicious word. I also like the Latin root of "vagabond," vagari, just as a stand alone word.

By the above technical definition, my husband and I are vagabonds in a major way. However, I am proud to say we are not scalawags, as we are not criminals at all. Even still, I like both words and would not be prejudiced against a Scalawag-Vagabond. The Roma all around us are such classification, and I quite admire them. They do not have a job, but they do have an income source through trash collection and work harder than most people here. They are not accepted by society. And it has produced quite attractive traits in them: cultural resistance, resourcefulness, innovativeness, re-making everything from scratch.

Of course, I had to make a logo and abbreviated logo. This could be a rough-and-tumble café or a ministry targeted for those who feels particularly judged by society. Or, better yet, both! Also, it is a humbling category to put one's self in. This calls to mind the Tolkien poem from which we quote "not all who wander are lost."

All that is gold does not glitter,
not all those who wander are lost;
the old that is strong does not wither,
deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
a light from the shadows shall spring;
renewed shall be blade that was broken,
the crownless again shall be king.