Article August 5, 2002 Issue

Inspiration from a spelling bee

BY Jeffrey Hildner

"PROSPICIENCE: The action or quality of looking forward; foresight."

Ever since cool-under-pressure seventh-grader Pratyush Buddiga correctly spelled that word to win the 2002 Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee, I've been thinking how prospicience is something I could sure use more of.

If you're like me, there have been plenty of times in your life when you might have done things differently if only you'd had a little (or a lot) more foresight. Also, other times when you did have the foresight to say or do the right thing, and it all turned out OK.