GLYPH: A symbol, such as a stylized figure or arrow on a public sign, that imparts information nonverbally. (Dictionary.com)

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I'm fascinated with the method of communication entailed in the concept of glyphs. They are symbols which are so visually accurate that they immediately convey the meaning of something without the use of words. In a society like ours where speed is king, glyphs play a huge role. The need for immediate access to information shows itself in a variety of ways, but glyphs are, perhaps, the most vital when it comes to speed in transportation.

When one is about to enter a curve in the road, on the other side of which is a traffic light, a glyph depicting a traffic light on a bright yellow sign provides the driver with that information instantaneously. The need to slow down and prepare to stop is communicated far more quickly by the glyph sign than if there were a sign with the words "Caution: stop sign ahead around curve."

For one thing, the glyph doesn't require the ability to speak the language of the country in which the sign appears. It is without language deficit. Whether one is literate or illiterate, there is instant transmission of the warning.

What gets tricky is traveling in a place where traffic patterns are different from the norm in this one. For instance, when driving in Australia we came upon a sign with what appeared to be a traffic circle (called a round-about in Australia)with several circles made from arrows surrounding the core circle. Not being familiar with the meaning of it, we proceeded into the round-about only to discover that the level of the circle designated the direction one was going to go after leaving the circle.

We ended up making numerous trips around the core circle before determining which exit circle we were supposed to use. Being on the left side of the road didn't help. But, once we mastered our exit, the glyph became part of our driving lexicon. The next time we encountered it we were prepared to make the choice of circles prior to entering.

Glyph originates from the concept of hieroglyphic which is, as you already know, a term used in archeology to describe the pictorial language of cultures (like the ancient Egyptian one) to communicate using small picture-like figures. The pictures used communicated the meaning of the thought to the reader. Here we are thousands of years later using the same technique, but for a different reason.

It occurs to me that a most interesting example of glyph is the tattoo. I'm not a huge fan of body art, especially in excess. But it is, clearly, a method of communicating a thought, frequently without the use of words. For some of the tattoos I have seen, I'm thankful words aren't used!! It is interesting that in this age of computerized, instant communication many people are drawn to the ancient use of tattoo glyphs to make a point. Maybe that's a separate posting for another time.

MYTH: a traditional or legendary story... with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation....(Dictionary.com)

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The word myth is most commonly used to refer to ancient stories told by Greeks, Norsemen or Native Americans. The myths popularized by them are classic, and serve well to define the word. Deities who have supernatural powers to create the earth, regulate the weather, control the seas, and other feats of greatness capture our imaginations and serve as fodder for literature and the other arts.

But there is another meaning for myth which became familiar to us through the teachings of Joseph Campbell, author of The Power of Myth. (Doubleday, 1988) It is the result of a fascinating series of interviews with Bill Moyers.

"A fundamental belief of Campbell's was that all spirituality is a search for the same basic, unknown force from which everything came, within which everything currently exists, and into which everything will return. This elemental force is ultimately “unknowable” because it exists before words and knowledge. Although this basic driving force cannot be expressed in words, spiritual rituals and stories refer to the force through the use of "metaphors"—these metaphors being the various stories, deities, and objects of spirituality we see in the world. For example, the Genesis myth in the Bible ought not be taken as a literal description of actual events, but rather its poetic, metaphorical meaning should be examined for clues concerning the fundamental truths of the world and our existence." (Wikipedia)

I find the work of Campbell to be enlightening. Some do not. To some, for whom spirituality or faith must be unquestionably factual, the use of myth as Campbell uses it, is offensive and even heretical. The literal reading of scripture is a necessity.

But for Campbell, a Christian, myth is not a pejorative term, but a helpful explanation about faith which leads to a deeper understanding of those who participated in the foundations of faith experience. Myth becomes a tool, acted out in our rituals and liturgies, incorporated into our stories, and the subject of the arts which help to define our faith experience.

Myth, to many, is a synonym for false or fictional. That is not an accurate definition of myth, which can be an element of fiction or an element of non-fiction, depending upon its use. The story of Noah and the Ark, for instance, is a myth which may incorporate elements of meteorological history about a time of great flooding in the Middle East. But its greatest value is the teaching it projects about faith and tenacity in the face of skeptical thought. It relates the theme of consistency of God's love for creation and God's promise to preserve that which has been created. In today's world it is an inspiration for those who seek to remind us of the sacredness of creation and the need for ecological and environmental morality.
We need not be fearful of reading history with an openness to the presence of myth . To the contrary, being open to the nature of myth may provide the reader with a fresh way of approaching one's faith. The Creator, by whatever name known, becomes a more acceptable element of one's faith, and religious history becomes more easily understood when the power of myth is acknowledged.

CRITIQUE:to review or analyze critically. (Dictionary.com)

It has become a holiday tradition for us to go to a movie on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We started this practice innocently when we found ourselves without a plan for a Christmas day, a houseful of family, and an inner need to do something other than crash on the sofa. Since then it seems like the right thing to do.

This hasn't always turned out to be the outstanding activity it was supposed to be. We've seen some pretty awful movies. Yesterday was no exception. With the Pitt game scheduled for the evening, and nothing we wanted to watch in the afternoon, we headed for the theater to see one of the movies promoted for the season, The Men Who Stare at Goats. The name sounded kookie enough to warrant a look-see, and the list of stars performing in it was incredible.

It was terrible.

I fell asleep twice during the movie, partly because it was too hot in the theater. But the movie lent itself to sleep to avoid what, to a packed theater, seemed like a waste of time. You could hear it throughout the theater, and when the movie ended, there was a murmur which was unlike that of an appreciative audience. I have no idea what the movie was supposed to be about. Oh, I got the story line, but it is the purpose that escapes me.

The acting was superficial, the cinematography was amateurish, and the script was...well it was...I think it was.... I can't even go there. I ate an entire bag of popcorn and swilled a can of caffeine-free Diet Coke which I had secreted into the theater in my jacket pocket. The accomplishment of that was the best part of the afternoon.

I think what set up our reaction was the fact that earlier in the day our daughter had pulled up a copy of the movie, Miss Potter, while we were lounging around after breakfast. It is a lovely movie. I chose that word carefully, and it describes the movie to a tee. Renee Zellweger does a fantastic job of portraying Beatrix Potter, the illustrator and author of the Peter Rabbit series. The story is somewhat predictable, but it is filmed in a magnificent setting in the Lakes District of England, the acting is superb, and the storyline is well written.

We were set up. The glow from watching Miss Potter was shattered by the foul-mouthed, coarse, and senseless portrayal of a group of zany characters who thought they had been trained to be psychics. Weird.

Incidentally, lest I forget, this is a critique, the purpose of today's posting. It is a written criticism of a movie (actually two movies) intended to assess the quality of the product. I've written reviews of books before, but never a movie. This one brought out such a visceral reaction I could not resist. I'll be anxious to hear from someone who had a different take on it.

BLACK FRIDAY:a day in which retail stores have enough sales to put them "in the black" (Dictionary.com)

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I find it interesting that the name Black Friday applies so easily to this day, the day after Thanksgiving. (Does that make Thanksgiving the penultimate day to Black Friday?) Under ordinary circumstances, the term Black Friday refers to a specific day when the NY Stock Exchange dropped precipitously. In that case, black is used as an adjective in what some consider to be a racist manner. It seems to many that the term is used only to designate a negative experience. To those sensitive to racial issues, that is unfortunate and perpetuates a belief that things Black are of less value than others. Thus, the Stock Market's use of the term is easily understood by the public.

But when we label this day, the day after Thanksgiving, as Black Friday it takes on a completely different meaning...although once again, it is a product of the materialistic mind. To many retailers, this is the day when they move "out of the red" financially, boosted by the excessive pre-Christmas sales of Black Friday. We have been watching the advertisements and news clips for days now which show people lining up 24 hours in advance, sleeping bags and tents included, to take advantage of the Black Friday sales promised by retailers.

Stores put on extra help. Off-duty police officers are hired to provide crowd control. In some places ambulances are standing by to assist those injured by the crush of the shopping mobs as the doors open and people sprint to the aisles where their favorite prizes are located. Last year we heard of a death in one location where a person was trampled by the crowd which ignored the person's plight and continued on its rush to savings.

To me there is something obscene about this picture of Black Friday. It speaks to the worst example of materialism in our society. We are a capitalistic society, and that is foundational to our economic stability. The economic stability of store owners is key to the success of capitalism. However, like anything else carried to excess, Black Friday feels like a celebration of greed. I know that I have made a generalization, and that there are many who shop Black Friday just for fun, loving the crush of the crowds and the festivity of the official opening of the Christmas shopping season. But the image we project to the world on this day is one which perpetuates the belief that Americans are self-centered, greedy, and addicted to shopping.

Given the year's economic plight, I hope the retailers do well today. I would love to see a turn-around in their profit margins. But I hope also that the day will return when activities for a gathered family might include, among other things, some shopping. I'm just a romantic, I guess.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

GLUTTONY: excessive eating and drinking. (Dictionary.com)

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Well, here we are at the most gluttonous holiday in the American calendar. Stop to think about it...it's a holiday to commemorate a feast...or that's what we have let Thanksgiving become. It started out (like many secular holidays) as a spiritual event, giving thanks for the blessing of new life in this amazing country. Having survived a horrendous winter and taxing farming season the Pilgrims held a harvest feast to thank God. Tradition says that they invited the Indians to join them to thank them for their having assisted them in learning the ropes of the neighborhood. Some of the story has become fantasized to add relish to the tradition, but for the most part, it was a sincere act of thanksgiving for survival.

Over the years this holiday has become an excuse for gluttony. It isn't my intent to trash Thanksgiving, as I enjoy it (and the food) just as much as anyone else. But in my new "green" lifestyle (see previous posting) I'm aware of how much damage I (and most of America) will do to our bodies today. Add the phenomenon of televised parades and football, and you have a full day of sedentary (also my previous posting) opportunity for the malicious terrorists to find their way into my already-clogged arteries and settle into my expansive girth.

Gluttony is not restricted to one day of the year. It is a lifestyle. In a world where millions of people are starving, our gluttony is less about Thanksgiving Day and more about the other 364 days of the year. It has to do with excess, and our inability to practice restraint in the face of that excess.

Isn't it amazing how, when choosing a new supermarket, we reject those which have too few options, for example. Recently an Aldi's store opened in the midst of a struggling neighborhood in Providence. Prior to its opening I witnessed residents getting on buses to travel to supermarkets on the perimeter of the city to do their shopping. They were limited in what they could carry back, so the trips were frequent and costly.

Now, with this Aldi's market in the neighborhood there are fresh meat, fresh vegetables and reasonably priced items for healthier meals. And it is right around the corner, not requiring a trip to the other end of the city. People can shop for more economic quantities rather than single items. All around it is a boon to the residents of this neighborhood.

I am embarrassed by my own reaction to shopping there. It is too limited. They have their own brand, but few options. My gluttonous need for more options out-scopes the benefits provided by the company's desire to meet the needs of a struggling neighborhood. I suspect I am not the only one to have come to the same conclusion. I don't have to shop there. I am fortunate enough to have a car (two to be exact) and the benefits of time and a sufficient income to go to another supermarket further away. There, surrounded by obscene quantities of food, I can peruse the options, comparing ingredients, prices and flavors.

That's what I'm saying. Gluttony is not restricted to eating too much turkey, dressing, and pie on Thanksgiving Day. It is a far more subtle, malicious element of life which reflects a way of life which has little regard for the more global issues of poverty and starvation. Hopefully we can become more cognizant of those issues and be willing to do more about them. Global issues require more action than one person's shopping practices, but awareness of the impact of my practices helps me sharpen my vision about a society which practices gluttony more at the check-out counter than at the table.

Photo credit goes to my friend, Joe Rollins, who sent this by e-mail.

SEDENTARY:accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise. (Dictionary.com)

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Sedentary is a word I hear a lot when I'm in a physician's office. He drops the word into conversations, not intentionally pointing to me, or referring to me, but being clear that he wants me to hear the word. It's been made pretty clear to me that men get too sedentary after they retire. I think it has something to do with the idea that after thirty or more years at a career, a man is entitled to some relaxation...respite from the daily grind.

There's no question that release from a tight schedule is warranted, but what my doctor worries about is me becoming a coach potato. He's very perceptive. My newly-discovered addiction to MSNBC, NCAA basketball, the Red Sox, and various TV shows has taken over too big a part of my life. I used to hate baseball; now I don't miss a Red Sox game during the season. I've even started wearing a Red Sox ball cap. And the 2008 election season came along right at the time I was developing my retirement routines. I never knew there were so many televised opportunities to get opinions about candidates and platforms.

In becoming sedentary I have put myself at risk of serious illnesses. The other part of retiring is the development of a jam-packed repertoire of visits to doctors' offices. I'm amazed at how many outdated People Magazines exist about people I've never heard of.

It took a knee "freezing up" on me for me to find my way to a physical therapist. In the context of those visits I began to get the message. A sedentary lifestyle is not only bad for your weight, your heart and your circulation; it is also the quickest way to find your knees stiffening and your back aching constantly.

It does me no good to know that "a lot of men get this way." I can only deal with myself. So, after very personal talks with my physical therapist, not so subtle suggestions from my primary care physician, and nasty comments from other specialists who have wormed their way into my life, I've decided to reject a sedentary way of life.

Regular exercises for flexibility and stretching are in order. Salt cellars are out the window. Walking is back on the agenda. TV is limited. I'm supposed to feel good about this. It's like my body is going to "go green." I'm sure I will feel good about it...eventually. But in the meantime, the couch is off limits. So much for sedentary living.

Photo credit: Philip C.

KNEECAP: To undermine a person or injure a person's reputation in a particularly vicious manner. (www.WordSpy.com)

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A new word usually emerges out of an attempt to describe an action or activity which is prominent in the minds of the public. Keyboarding, for instance, has replaced typing in our vocabulary as the use of computers has replaced the use of typewriters for the most part.

To kneecap is one of those new words. I found it while browsing one of my favorite blogs, WordSpy, written by Paul McFedries. While the graphic I have used may have led you to believe that I was going to reference an orthopedic process, the use of kneecap, in this instance, is about a nasty process more related to politics and public comment. To kneecap someone is to undertake a plan to destroy the name and reputation of someone in a vicious way.

During the presidential campaign of Senator John Kerry in 2004, for instance, a group known as Swiftboat developed a publicity campaign to lead the people of the US to believe that Senator Kerry's claims about his Vietnam war experience were false. Coupling their well-financed claims with the fact that he became an opponent of the Vietnam War undermined his candidacy and contributed to his loss in the election. He was kneecapped.

The word is taken from popular references to mob tactics in which a person is shot in the kneecap to cripple them and prevent them from functioning. The Al Capone era in Chicago popularized the technique (according to mob literature). However, it is not unknown in current urban criminal activity, either.

Political campaign energy has ramped up dramatically with the advent of 24 hour news shows, radio talk shows, and popular personal communication tools. Anybody can have access to tens of thousands of people instantly, with very little oversight. A whole new industry of fact checking has arisen in news media circles, but with limited ability to overcome false claims or slanted reporting. Once a message is "out there" it is unlikely that the truth or fiction of the report can be verified before it becomes part of the popular mythology.

Political campaigns in small, seemingly-insignificant districts have ramped up in cost, sometimes costing millions of dollars. Television, radio and print media depend heavily upon campaign purchases in order to survive. As a result the pubilc is blasted with all kinds of reporting, some of which is purely kneecapping. with the intent to injure or destroy the campaign of candidates, depending upon whose campaign finance chest is larger. More and more, political campaigns are won or lost based upon criteria which have little to do with the quality of the candidate or the candidate's capabilities.

I doubt that the word kneecap (used in this way) will enter the public lexicon in other than election years, and then only infrequently. But it is a colorful word, capable of expressing a practice which is graphic and chilling.

Photo credit: Medical Multimedia Group

roman à clef: a novel in which actual persons, places, or events are depicted in fictional guise. (Dictionary.com)

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I love this word/phrase. It is pronounced rōmäN' ä klā'. What I love about it is that it is something that happens intentionally to some authors, and unintentionally to many, many others. My suspicion is that it is a surprise to many authors to discover that their novel is more autobiographical than they expected. When I first began to explore the realm of fictional writing I was told that when an author begins to write the themes are drawn from that which is most familiar. The comfort level with their own story is available and approachable, allowing the author (either consciously or unconsciously) to focus upon the act of writing without struggling to develop a story.

A...common type of roman à clef is one in which the disguised characters are easily recognized only by a few insiders, as in Simone de Beauvoir's The Mandarins (1954).(Encyclopedia Britannica Online)

Developing a story line is a far more complicated process than many might expect. For me, at least, it begins with a simple idea (sometimes a word) and begins to unfold as I write. Sometimes there is a skeleton of a story in my mind or in my notes. But many times the story evolves as I write. There comes a point where I have to know the ending in order to arrive there effectively. But that ending may change numerous times in the course of writing.

Back to roman à clef , however, the fictional story may begin with an actual experience, but there comes a point where it must vary in order to become the short story or novel it is intended to be. This is where a roman à clef differs from an autobiography. Just changing the names and disguising the location is not enough. A new element must be introduced into the story which changes the facts.

Gradually, as an author begins to emerge into his or her voice the need for autobiographical information diminishes and plot begins to develop independently. There is a rush when this happens. It is as if another part of the brain has been tapped. Personal experience is not lost, necessarily, but its role in the product is diminished and may only appear incidentally.

John Irving, the novelist, for instance, writes almost exclusively about New Hampshire. His prep school and certain character types are in almost every one of his novels. But, whereas his earlier novels were specifically about Exeter and specific people, in more recent novels they have become more or less references which are laced into the story in a less prominent way.

It occurs to me that roman à clef is not restricted to the writing of novels. Isn't it true that this is a characteristic of social conversation, as well? When we first meet a new friend, there is much talk about personal background. As the relationship progresses, new material emerges as the common bond. Personal experience is not lost, but its prominence is not as visible as jointly-experienced moments become of greater significance.


Dictionary source:The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

ASSASSINATE: to kill suddenly or secretively, esp. a politically prominent person (Dictionary.com)

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"I was at my daughter's second birthday party."
"My staff and I were on company retreat on Long Island."
"I was in the hospital having heart surgery."
"We were travelling in Europe and had stopped at a cafe for dinner."

November 22, 1963, is one of those dates in American history which calls forth such comments. It was on that date, in Dallas, that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. There are many theories about the actual event, but for most Americans the event was primarily a shocking, grief-stricken moment in history which changed the character of the United States of America.

I, too, remember where I was. I was student teaching in an elementary school in Upstate New York and became one of dozens of teachers and staff who crammed into a teacher's lounge to watch, to cry, and to express bewilderment. It wasn't a partisan event; political parties went out the window in that moment. Our President had been murdered...assassinated.

The act of assassination was horrible in itself, killing a young man who captured the imagination of new generations of Americans. The husband of a beautiful, young woman, and the father of two picture-perfect children, John Kennedy represented a new moment in our nation. It is hard to believe that he would be 92 years of age if he were still living. In an instant he was gone, and with him went the confidence, the hope, and the vision of a nation capable of reaching the moon and resisting the threat of Communism.

Kennedy was not the first President to be assassinated, but his death took place in a time of instant communication, with televisions around the world broadcasting the tragedy within minutes of it happening. The world reacted with horror equal to that of the American people. This charismatic young President represented America at its best and gave hope to captive people in embattled nations globally.

Much of our population today know JFK only by story. But even they are moved by the senseless act which took his life. His assassination stands as a pivotal moment in our history. A piece of us died with him in Dallas that day.

Photo Credit: Wikopedia

GRATUITY: a gift of money given, above and beyond the payment due for service, as to a ... waiter ; tip (Dictionary.com)

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We've all been there. That awkward moment at the end of a meal when it's time to pay the check. The meal has been mediocre and the service has been less than wonderful. How do I calculate the tip, the gratuity? Under normal circumstances I add 20% of the total bill to the check without hesitation. I know that people work hard to provide a good meal, good service, a pleasant ambiance, and the flourishes that combine to make for a pleasant experience. Many times, without the gratuity they are underpaid. Hardworking waitstaff depend upon their tips to make it worth while.

But when the product is substandard, what is the patron to do?

In an article on the Internet today, two people were arrested for not paying the 18% tip that was required by the Pennsylvania restaurant for the meal provided for them and their friends. The service was atrocious and the meal unworthy of recognition. The police were called and the hosts were led away in handcuffs. The article raises the whole question of gratuities and the practice of thanking people for service at and above the norm. Clearly this couple did not receive the service they anticipated, and their way of reflecting that was to refuse to pay a tip.

Gratuity is a word that comes from the same root word as grateful. It signifies that the donor is thankful for the special considerations given above that required. The amount of the gratuity is variable, depending upon the extent to which the waitperson has demonstrated special care. Unfortunately, the waitperson is often punished for the sins of the kitchen staff or the management.

Ideally, the patron should call the situation to the attention of the management at the time it occurs rather than waiting until the paying of the check. Patrons who do so may have worked in restaurants in prior days and may remember that there are unsavory ways of responding to complaints. Many, if not most, restaurants value customer comments, wanting to protect or build a reputation as a place that cares about quality. But there are places where complaints are treated as negatives, and, I am told, there are subtle but effective ways of expressing disapproval. I have never heard of handcuffs and jail as being among those methods.

Gratitude is a gift and should not be expected. That's what makes this whole issue of gratuities more complex than it should be. I have always appreciated the European method, in which tipping is discouraged. The wait staff and other employees are paid a meaningful wage in expectation that they will provide excellent service and an excellent product. In some places, tipping is considered an insult.

I understand that restaurants struggle to stay alive economically, and that higher wages for employees could be disastrous. But customer complaint and public comment can be disastrous, also. I suspect that if the cost of presenting a quality experience was built into the cost presented to the guest there might be a more timely willingness to express dissatisfaction at the time of service, when a restaurant has the opportunity to correct the situation.

Gratitude can be expressed by good public comments and the return of the customer to the restaurant. It separates it from the economic issue.

MYOPIC: pertaining to or having myopia; nearsighted, unable or unwilling to act prudently; shortsighted (Dictionary.com)

Limited vision is nothing to laugh about. In a family in which macular degener-ation is common, and with early signs showing themselves in my own eyes, I find it frightening to think about living without being able to read or watch the Red Sox. I know that there are aural options, but it wouldn't be the same. Thankfully, my ophthalmologist says the signs are early and minimal. Maybe I'll escape it.

Myopia is not limited to ocular vision. It also describes the mind set, a condition which may be more of a disaster than loss of ocular vision. To be myopic can mean to see things in a limited way with your mind, not your eyes. It is an attitudinal condition which doesn't take into account a wider vision of circumstances. To paraphrase an old saying, it's like not being able to see the forest for the trees.

Seeing the larger picture means being able to deal with the singular issues that arise, but not dwelling on them as if they are the end result. To recognize that singular issues or singular events are, perhaps the beginning of a process which has larger results is like walking through the forest without turning back because you trip over a downed limb.

As an example, I was struck by the news reports last night in which the President's trip to Asia was being analyzed. Some saw it as a failure because no major announcements were forthcoming about a dramatic change in foreign policy. Others, however, were complimenting the President for having opened dialogue with leaders of countries who were not friendly to the United States in recent years. The results of these meetings, from the perspective of the latter group, will be revealed in events and issues to emerge later.

To mix metaphors, I suppose it is the difference between seeing the glass half empty or the glass half full. It matters. How we, as a nation, proceed with international issues depends to a huge degree upon the rapport we have with leaders of other nations. I thought the photos showing the President in dialogue with Chinese college students were, perhaps, more telling than those of him seated in traditionally uncomfortable chairs with a table and flowers between him and the leader of China. Go back and look at the faces of the students. They tell a lot that words don't convey. The President garnered respect and admiration from those members of the Young Communist Party. That will pay off down the road

To be myopic is to be discouraged and critical of the results of those moments, or to dismiss them entirely as having been a waste of time (as one TV commentator was heard to say.) That certainly is one way to see things, but I prefer to see the larger picture and to have hope that acorns have been planted which will grow into oak trees of collaboration and mutual respect.

EXTEMPORANEOUS: done, spoken, performed, etc., without special advance preparation; impromptu (Dictionary.com)

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One of the first classes I encountered in college (back in the Dark Ages) was a basic Speech course. The professor introduced a weekly experience in which he would choose classmates at random and ask them to come to the front of the room, face the class, and speak for six minutes (an eternity) extemporaneously. He would choose a topic, throw it at the student, and then sit back and watch the result.

One day I will never forget. An older student, Bob, a Korean War veteran, was asked to the front. He stood awkwardly, awaiting "the word." The professor said, "Your word is euthenasia."

Bob stared at the professor for a few moments, stuffed his hands in his pockets, cleared his throat several times, and then began.

“Euthenasia. Well, let me begin by saying that everyone does it. It’s a natural thing, beginning at puberty. You don’t have a lot of control over it….”

You get the drift. This usually introverted man spent the next five or six minutes awkwardly describing in somewhat graphic detail, the phenomenon of masturbation. The class was silent, mostly in embarrassment for Bob, but also in awe that Bob was so candid.

The professor stood, strolled to the front of the room, and shook Bob’s hand.

“Thank you, Mr. C____,” he said. “That was a very enlightening presentation about the onset of your sex life. I suspect it didn’t end there. But I’m afraid you missed the mark on euthanasia. Can anyone enlighten Mr. C____ about the meaning of the word?”

At that point the class erupted in laughter, unable to hold it in any longer. Bob was mortified and crawled back to his seat where a number of classmates slapped him on the back, ruffled his short military haircut, and pelted him with graphic comments about the content of his presentation.

That is one of the limitations of extemporaneous speaking. Without a chance for preparation, and depending totally on one’s supply of chutzpah, it can be dangerous territory.

The advent of teleprompters has created a new phenomenon which could be called faux extemporaneous. Nearly invisible to the audience, the teleprompter gives the appearance of speaking without notes. Depending upon one’s skill in using a teleprompter, a television audience can find itself awed, admiring, and overwhelmed by the oratory skills of the speaker. We are told that President Obama is someone who has perfected the use.

True extemporaneous speaking, however, is best exemplified in current campaign circles by the use of town meetings and open forums. Spontaneous questions are thrown at the candidate from the audience and the candidate is expected to demonstrate her ability to draw from her storehouse of knowledge the information required to answer the question. Few political candidates master the town hall well. Most tend to pull sound bites from prepared statements, usually twisting the question to fit the answer.

When a speaker is good at extemporaneous speaking it is obvious, and the audience is able to identify the quality. It is worth a lot of points in post-event scrutiny.

Photo credit: Stockphoto.com

UNFRIEND: New Oxford American Dictionary’s Word of the Year

My friend, Tom, reports to me that The New Oxford American Dictionary has chosen unfriend as the word of the year. Evidently they do this every year, and, as in this case, the word is a new word which has been created as a result of technology or the latest popular usage. Those of you who are involved in Facebook or Twitter will recognize right away that unfriend is a verb which evolves from the practice of gathering friends, or regular readers. Thus, it’s not a huge jump to understand that unfriend means to eliminate someone from your list, either in advance, without them ever having been on the list, or… after further consideration…removing them from an existing list. Ouch!

A whole new journalistic ethic is arising around this “friending” exercise. You have to ask yourself, “Will this person be offended if I don’t admit them to my friends list?” Or, “How will I explain it to this person when I have eliminated them from the list?” Both are delicate situations.

And then, of course, there is the whole issue of receiving an invitation to become a friend on someone else’s list. “If I accept the invitation to be on someone’s list, what message am I sending to them?” And, of course, the opposite: “If I don’t accept the invitation….”

You can see that this is becoming difficult…and it shouldn’t be. I suspect that the difficulty comes as a result of using the word “friend” to begin with. It is a word with built-in implications of affection and relationship. Whereas the whole idea is to build up a list of people who want to read your tweets or journals. It really has little to do with levels of affection or relationship. But that is no guarantee that the person will understand it that way.

A friend of mine (in real life, not only cyber-life)said to me that people who have been adopted into the personal cyber-communication community by having used it for some time have removed the emotional catches. It's just a matter of usage. I suppose that is true for those who are sending as well as those who are receiving.

I’m not sure I want to be an unfriended; neither do I want to unfriend someone. Both tasks are far too complicated. I find the technology of writing on Facebook or Twitter to be emotionally complicated enough, without adding this level of stress. Therefore, after a brief trial I chose not to use either system.

There are some who say that these personal communication systems are the wave of the future, and represent a 21st century way of carrying on relationships. I am convinced that they are right. Just think about the recent populist upheaval in Iran, when the use of Twitter was the only means of communicating to the world what was happening in Tehran. But, like the telephone, it took many years to perfect the system until it became something everyone could understand. I suspect the same is going to be true of these tools.

In the meantime, I will continue to send snail mail notes, e-mails, and postings on my blog. Like the words to the song, “Everything’s up to date in Kansas City”…I’ve "gone about as fur as I can go."

CONURBATION: an extensive urban area resulting from the expansion of several cities or towns ....(Dictionary.com)

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Rhode Island is unique in many ways. Some of them are enviable qualities, like the beauty of the ocean presence; the lovely, picture-perfect small towns; and the diversity of population. There are other Rhode Island qualities which are not so enviable, like high taxes, high cost of living, eroding industrial base, and what seems to be a preponderance of governmental discord.

But the unique characteristic which stands out, because of the size of Rhode Island, is that Rhode Island is, for all intents and purposes, a city-state. There are numerous municipalities in the state, including some good-sized cities. But the fact remains that Providence is the hub of commerce, entertainment, higher education, communication, and most other aspects of life. Not that they don't exist in other places. (God forbid that I tell people on Aquidneck Island that all life in Rhode Island exists in Providence! I'm told that there are people on Aquidneck Island who have never been to Providence, although I think that is less likely in this day and age than in previous eras.) The configuration of interstate highways, Green Airport, and Amtrak make the point.

Whether it is a popular idea or not, conurbation is an emerging reality in Rhode Island. Clearly, it has not taken on an official status, and I'm not aware of any legislation pending to make it an actual plan. But that is not the only way conurbation takes place.

The growing dependence upon Providence for health care by the existence of several hospitals and related health services is a reality. Hospitals in other parts of the state function locally, but are dependent upon Providence hospitals for major surgical and therapeutic processes. Television and radio stations relating to Rhode Island are located in Providence, bringing the city into the living rooms of people throughout the state and region. Major entertainment facilities are located in Providence, bringing Rhode Islanders into the city on a regular basis. And, of course, the restaurants of Providence are a draw for many Ocean Staters.

Conurbation is not always an absorption of communities by a city, as much as a relationship with other nearby municipalities in a way that ties them together as a functioning enterprise, but leaves them existing as independent municipalities. There are various forms of regionalisation which exist throughout the country. Conurbation is more a concept than a plan.

Given the economic climate and the decreasing self-sufficiency of Rhode Island municipalities, it is not only a good idea, but perhaps a necessity that the state develop a plan which is based upon mutual interdependence and cooperation. In a year in which important state elections will take place, the idea of conurbation will be discussed, if not in name, at least in concept.

INTRANSIGENT: refusing to agree or compromise; uncompromising; inflexible. (Dictionary.com)

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Being stuck is never a good thing. Whether it's in the snow or in the mud, being stuck is a situation in which movement is prohibited, or even denied. The word intransigent depicts that kind of being stuck which is even more dramatic than having one's car get stuck. Intransigent means getting stuck in the mind. It's a state of mind which gets translated into a method of operation, commonly referred to in police jargon as M.O.

An intransigent person is one who is paralyzed by the belief that a concept has been decided upon, is incapable of being changed, and will not be forfeited at any cost. No matter how illogical or unreasonable the decision is, it is not open to compromise. There is no wiggle room and dialogue is nearly impossible.

While government may seem like the most logical locus for an example of intransigence it is not the only one...and may not be the best. Political intransigence is so loaded with emotional overtones that utilizing it for example hinders the capability of exploration.

Rather, let's use food as our example. Children demonstrate intransigence at an early age. Even an infant will refuse a spoonful of spinach, even without having had a prior experience with it. Not only is this frustrating to the parent attempting to provide a balanced diet for a baby, but the very fact that it happens is a mystery. Is it the color of the food, the smell of it, or a genetic predisposition to rejection of green vegetables? After a long night of colic it hardly matters. To the fatigued parent, the rejection of the spoon is comparable to another Mid-east Peace Treaty being rejected.

Babies can't verbalize their reasons for intransigence about spinach, and the parent has to develop patience or cunning to overcome it.

But what frustrates me even more is an adult who demonstrates gastronomic intransigence. (That's a great term which I think I have just invented.) The unwillingness to try a new food, or the stubborn refusal to allow it to be placed on a dinner plate is something that really tries my patience. In this case, it can be discussed, but the discussion frequently breaks down at the words, "I just don't want to try it!" End of discussion.

Adults do not have the right to intransigence which is not debatable. That is my own maxim, not one decreed by any law or canon. There has to be a reason for refusal to try brussels sprouts. Is it the color? The smell? The texture? Was there an earlier brussels sprouts incident? Did someone else's negative opinion get translated into your list of unacceptables?

I grew up in a house where there was one entree. (We didn't even know the meaning of that word.) If roasted chicken was the main dish, everyone ate roasted chicken. If the side dishes included brussels sprouts, everyone ate brussels sprouts. There was no alternate provided, and, given a household which was governed by survivors of the Great Depression, food was not wasted.

Consequently, my historical repertoire of foods is far more extensive than that of some people I know. My willingness to try foods I've never eaten is more flexible, for the most part. There are exceptions, but I like to think that there is a logical reason for being on the list of exceptions. After all, I'm not intransigent about such things.

Or...am I? I really dislike some foods, such as Nutella. In my defense, I have to say that I have tried it. But I'm somewhat a purist when it comes to foods, and the addition of hazelnut to chocolate doesn't turn me on.

When we lived in Australia we were introduced to a wheat germ spread called Vegemite, which Aussies use like peanut butter. In this case, I can tell you the reasons for rejecting it. It stinks. The smell is enough to cause a gastronomic disaster. And it tastes awful. Like medicine. I did try it, but I have no desire to repeat the experiment. So there exists a list of foods about which I have become intransigent. I like to think that my willingness to have tried them counts for something, but my response is inflexible and without an option for dialogue.

I guess we all have our likes and dislikes...some more dramatic than others.

ENTITLEMENT: a right to benefits that is granted, especially by law or contract. (Dictionary.com)

If you start reading this expecting the topic to be Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, or some other form of health or welfare benefits, you may be disappointed. While those are legitimate topics for another posting, they are not the topics about which I am concerned today. I want to explore the interplay between the entitlements given to the press and the way in which I believe those rights are being twisted.

There is no question in my mind that the media has been given rights which need to be protected. The First Amendment to the Bill of Rights prohibits the Congress from making laws "respecting an establishment of religion", prohibiting the free exercise of religion, infringing on the freedom of speech and infringing on the freedom of the press. (Wikopedia.com)

It is the latter portion to which I want to direct us in this posting. Specifically, I am concerned about the role of the press in the arena of athletics.

Over the past week we have watched the media report incessantly the story of two girls’ soccer teams from High Schools in Rhode Island who lost their composure in the heat of a championship game and found themselves involved in a fight on the field. If this had been two boys’ soccer teams it would have been ignored, but the fact that it involved girls caught the attention of the media. The message seems to have been that girls are getting to be just as rowdy as boys. That is not news to parents or most teachers in High Schools, and it is not restricted to Rhode Island. But it seems to have been news to the media.

From my perspective this incident was exploited by the media, who claim it to be “breaking news.” It is not. But the media made it news, breaking the primary rule of good journalism that the person preparing a piece for publication is supposed to report news…not create news. As a result, several teenage girls who worked hard throughout a season to play the game well, forfeited other aspects of their lives to participate in practices and games, and performed at their best on the field of play, have been exposed, humiliated, and embarrassed in front of their parents, their peers, their community and now the wider public.

It raises within me the question of the boundaries on the First Amendment entitlement of the media. It is not the first time I have considered this issue. For instance, I am one of those who is offended by the presence of the media in the locker rooms of professional athletes. Not only is it a violation of decency, but it eliminates an important part of the experience of the athlete…the ability to have feelings and to express them privately. Good athletes are not just about public performance; there is a personal side to athletic participation as well.

All athletes have within themselves a little (or large) remnant of their childhood. It is one of the qualities which helps make an athlete perform well. When that childlike character needs to let tears flow; for grief to demonstrate itself; or for exuberance to explode, there is no reason for a camera to be forced into his or her face. There is plenty of time outside the locker room for that to be captured by the press if desired. But the locker room should be a sanctuary where a private moment shared with teammates (or alone) is possible. The press disagrees and says that its presence in the locker room captures news worth reporting to the public. The press claims entitlement according to the First Amendment. I disagree.

I spoke about this soccer fight issue yesterday with high ranking officials in the inter-scholastic athletic program for the State of Rhode Island. They are grieved by what the excessive reporting of this story has done to the girls, their families, and the schools involved. A mistake made in the midst of an emotional game has been portrayed as a flashpoint of a changing culture. Reputations have been damaged and programs jeopardized.

In a free society it is important that entitlements granted by the foundational documents of our freedom are protected. But, at the same time, it is important to protect the personal rights of individuals within our society…protect them from abuse and exploitation for financial gain. The two are not mutually exclusive. It is in the creative tension between the two that we find the shape of our society. It is time to reign in the excessive intrusion of the press into private lives where people seek the pursuit of happiness…a right also guaranteed by the founders of our nation.

In the grand scheme of things, with two wars raging, an economy in the toilet, and health care reform raging, it may seem like a frivolous thing to concentrate on high school athletics. But it is important for us, as we seek solutions to the larger issues facing our nation, not to lose sight of the small things that bring either joy or pain to our lives.

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SPURIOUS: not genuine, authentic, or true...counterfeit. (Dictionary.com)

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Spurious is a great word. I use it too frequently, almost as an evil toy, knowing that a lot of people don't know the meaning of it. It is an ego-driven, prideful action my part. But I love it, and I love being able to explain the meaning of the word.

Usually spurious is used in the world of literature or publishing to identify a questionable source. There have been numerous examples recently of journalists who write about an event without having been present. They pretend to have been there, all the time drawing their descriptions and material from someone else's report. It is then said that in some peoples' minds "the sources are spurious." This has the effect of diminishing the authenticity of the article and calling its effectiveness into question.

Thus, the word spurious is not to be used casually (an act to which I confessed above). In the world of publishing it has the capability of destroying a person's credibility and undermining that person's career.

Spurious is a good word for a reviewer to use as it is strong and filled with literary energy, but it is not a word that grovels in emotion. It signals to the reader that information is being questioned, but without personal animus. It locates the criticism within the literary profession, calling for a response which is measured. The journalist or author can choose to respond in a similar manner, or become defensive, moving the question to another level.

When used politically, however, the term spurious becomes a weapon which is debilitating. On the campaign trail, where things move at such a rapid pace, an accusation of spurious information can find itself published instantaneously over Cable TV, talk radio,Twitter, Facebook, and other personal media tools, reaching the ears and eyes of hundreds of thousands of people before a measured, reasonable response can be crafted. It is a devastating accusation and can prove to be a game-changer.

Yesterday's pre-release reviews of former Governor Sarah Palin's new book, Going Rogue carried with it some questions of
spurious information. One commentator, for instance, suggested that her listing of books she has read (in response to her angry reflection on the famous Katie Couric interview question) was spurious, resembling a High School reading list. I have no idea whether the commentator is accurate or not, but in simply raising the thought that the list has spurious qualities plants a seed in the reader's mind about authenticity.

Words can be powerful weapons, and, as such, should be used with caution. This is a charge to myself as well as others. Mea culpa.

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DITHERING: to act irresolutely: vacillate (Dictionary.com)

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President Obama has been accused of dithering when it comes to making a decision about the next steps to be taken in the military conflict in Afghanistan/Pakistan. Prodded by some Members of Congress, Senators, the media, and various experts, the President has been urged to make a quick decision and announce it. He has refused to cave in to this pressure, and has continued to listen to advisors from various camps before announcing a decision.

The accusation of dithering carries with it a stigma of vacillation, casting him as one who is incapable of making a hard decision. However, in order to vacillate, it would be necessary for him to have made a decision and then backed away from it. I have to say that President Obama was clear in his campaign that he would place this military situation at the top of his list of urgency and that he would commit himself to winning this war against Al Qaeda . I have no reason to believe that he has abandoned this intent; what is at question is the method of accomplishing it. This is the topic being discussed with his military advisors.

A commitment to lengthy dialogue on an issue before making a decision is a departure to many, having experienced a previous administration which was known for knee-jerk reactions, such as the decision to enter Iraq without clear intelligence. Some are willing to forget or overlook the disaster created by that kind of decision-making.

A strong proposal publicized prematurely by the President's chief military advisor in Afghanistan has led many to speculate on the number of lives which have been lost while the President dithers over his decision. A contrary view is the longer one, which asks how many lives will be saved by a well-thought-out decision which is more focused on accomplishing the purpose of our military presence. President Obama is engaged in a dialogue which seeks to define that purpose more clearly, then allowing the United States and our allies to take the next steps in this conflict with greater clarity. To some, that may seem like a diversion; to others it is a welcome form of responsible management.

This method of decision-making is not the first employed by the President to confuse some pundits. Multi-tasking and the desire for bi-partisanship have befuddled veteran pundits and legislators alike. He is a product of a new generation of leadership, and with that comes new methods of governance.

In the long run, that which is being criticized as dithering will emerge, I believe, as a characteristic of wisdom and careful management of the awesome task placed in the lap of the President of the United States.

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EUTHANASIA: the act of putting to death painlessly or allowing to die (Dictionary.com)

There are many topics which can energize the conversation over coffee at the diner. Politics, religion, abortion, taxes, sports.... The list is long and easily accessed. One of the terms which appears on that list is euthanasia, commonly known in society as mercy killing. Just mention the topic and then stand back as large quantities of emotion emerge...from many angles.

There are those who are opposed vehemently to the idea. It may be a direct connect to their spiritual or religious beliefs, or it may be a political issue. The idea that someone intentionally would participate in the ending of life of an individual does not compute for them.

On the other hand, there are those who feel just as strongly that euthanasia is a compassionate act, relieving pain and suffering and allowing a patient to slip away into imminent, unavoidable death. I suspect there are a large number of people who find themselves someplace in the middle of the discussion.

Many progressive nations have legalized euthanasia and it is on the ballot regularly in some states in the United States. Oregon was the first state to provide for euthanasia and the result of that legalization has become a laboratory for the rest of the nation. Many would say that it has been a quiet revolution in that state, not garnering a great deal of media space over the years, but constantly under scrutiny by those who have strong feelings about it.

Some who oppose the practice in principle find themselves changing their opinions when the patient is a loved one struggling with a painful existence in the weeks prior to death. Palliative care is a benign medical practice in which the goal is to make the patient as comfortable as possible, still allowing them to participate in family decisions and medical decisions regarding their own well-being. It can involve massive dosages of pain-killers and other drugs which mask the difficult symptoms. Palliative care can be a partner to Hospice care, which also seeks to make the dying process a more positive time in the life of a terminally-ill patient.

But euthanasia is a step beyond either of those practices, calling for the intentional injection of a drug by a medical professional which arrests the body's systems of life. Death is the result, sometimes immediately. When palliative care is not capable of covering the pain and suffering of a dying patient, families and loved ones find themselves struggling to justify the continuance of agony when the possibility of peace for the dying patient is available.

Obviously, euthanasia is more than a medical issue. It involves difficult moral and ethical decisions which reach deeply into the religious fabric of those charged with decision-making. The balance between compassion and religious values can be more complex than it seems as if it should be.

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CYBERCHONDRIA: when an individual surfs the net in a frenzy of health anxiety. (UrbanDictionary.com, Sept. 24)

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You have seen it happen. Maybe you have done it yourself. A person begins to experience symptoms of illness. Instead of calling a physician that person runs to the computer and pulls up a medical website. He or she punches in the symptoms (fever, rash, shortness of breath, etc.) and then reads furtively, relying upon the information to come to a computer-driven diagnosis. This is cyberchondria. It is the bane of physicians, and...more and more...they are ready to tell you so.

There was a time when it might have been considered interesting for someone to precede a doctor's visit with some data-gathering. Those were in the early days of computers, and, for the most part, it was considered a harmless activity. But not so much anymore.

Studies of cyberchondria are reporting that the result of people checking out their symptoms or early diagnosis on the web has led to exaggeration of the disease and complications with treatment. Amateur physicians who exhibit cyberchondria tend toward one practice: they invariably gravitate to the 'worst case' scenarios. A common cold or upper respiratory infection, for instance, emerges in the mind of the cybersleuth as pneumonia or lung cancer. By the time the doctor's visit takes place, the patient is exhibiting depression, fear, and certainty of impending death.

I know a physician who rolls his eyes when the patient mentions having gone to the Internet to check out the symptoms being presented. A year ago that would have been his only reaction. But now he confronts the patient and tells them that he is less and less impressed with the information found on the Internet. He strongly cautions the patient not to go there, but to listen to what he and the clinicians related to his practice have to say about the symptoms and the diagnosis.

The key word in the definition at the beginning of this posting is frenzy. It tells us immediately that the data has been laced with emotion. It is that emotion that is dangerous. It plants seeds of doubt, worry, and anxiety in a patient at a time when positive thinking, confidence, and calm are needed most. These traits have been found to be beneficial in the healing process. The negative traits tend to slow down the healing and inhibit the work of medicines, therapies, and sound medical advice.

We live in an age when participation in the healing process by physician, staff, referrals, and the patient are important. However, it would seem that the data is showing us that the patient's participation is best defined when leaving the diagnosis and prognosis to the physician.


Thanks to Dr. Nancy of MSNBC-TV for making me aware of this word.
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SERENDIPITY: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident. (Dictionary.com)

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Serendipity is a word I have embraced and used for many years. It is one of the more expressive words in our lexicon, having come to us after being created by Horace Walpole in adopting a term from Sri Lankan literature. It told the story of three princes from a place called Serendip who regularly discovered wonderful things which they were not seeking. (Dictionary.com)

By now you may be nodding your head, saying to yourself, "I know exactly what that means. It has happened to me." The reality is that serendipity happens to almost all of us at one time or another; we just have to be open to it and ready to be aware of it. Taking a wrong turn (before GPS) and discovering one of the most beautiful places you've ever seen. Sitting down in a public place and discovering a new friendship with a person sitting next to you. Picking up a magazine in a doctor's waiting room and opening to an article about an old friend you haven't seen in decades.

These things happen all the time, and they provide color to our lives. We like to think we are in total control of the events of our lives, but serendipity reminds us of chance, happenstance, fate, or whatever you want to call it. Some will attribute religious quallities to it; I prefer to recognize that it is a part of life.

Some people seem to experience serendipity more than others. My suspicion is that they are more open to possibilities than others. If one's life is closed up and self-focused the liklihood of experiencing serendipity is minimal. Those who enjoy people-watching and experimentation are more likely to recognize serendipity when it happens.

My favorite kind of vacation experience is getting into a car and heading west. No reservations, no plan, no specific expectations. That doesn't work for some who need more specific, organized details of a trip. Once, when travelling in New Zealand, my wife and I headed off into an uncharted territory. We had no idea where we were going. The scenery we saw and the experiences we encountered were incredible. Whenever we talk about that trip to New Zealand we go immediately to that wonderful day... a day on which we experienced serendipity at its best.


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BIG, BIG WORDS

When I was a kid we used a question to impress others with our vast knowledge of words. It was this:

"Do you have the AUDACITY to doubt my VERACITY and to INSINUATE that I PREVARICATE? "

It was fun to be able to throw the question around and to act as if we were offended by the thought that someone had indicated that we had told a lie.

I was thinking about this as a signal to me that from an early age the power of words was something within grasp. By the time I was in Junior High (we never had heard of "middle school" in those days!) I was aware of that fact, and my Junior High School English teacher was a key to it. She introduced us to the practice of sentence diagramming, in which we laid out a sentence on paper according to its design. Nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, predicate adjectives, adverbs...they all went into their proper place.

It was so clear, visually, that the word "I" was used instead of "me" because it followed an intransitive verb "was." To use "me" was akin to chewing with your mouth open or drinking from the milk bottle from the refrigerator. We might have been a small,blue collar village , but we were going to speak and write properly.

It makes me wonder how the Earth moved to bring us to the place where the importance of grammar is discounted. I suspect it came from the practice of teachers encouraging students to write freely, without regard for syntax, spelling, or grammatical error. Expression was the important issue. Stopping for correction stifled thought. It was a small, but important part, of the growing importance of speed and productivity over quality of production. Industry experienced it and it led to poor construction and lack of buyer confidence. Our "I want it, and I want it now" mentality crept into our language, leading to sloppiness at the expense of speed.

I have heard it said that when blogging, text messaging, e-mailing, or Twittering it is important to get the message out, and to get it out quickly. The sender is encouraged to hit the send button quickly, to save the integrity of the message. It preserves the intent of the sender. I have watched people text messaging and the speed of their interaction is awesome. My style is to create it, review it, use spell-check, utilize the Preview option and then publish the item when it is correct.

I watched the movie Bright Star recently, the story of John Keats, the recognized English poet. He and his associate would labor for days over the creation of a poem, struggling with the selection of words, the layout of the poem on the page, and the sound of the words when read aloud. It was a tedious process for the creation of an art form. I'm not that precise, but I was impressed with the work that went into the production of a beautiful love poem.

I recognize that this is a generational thing. We live in a time when the whole mode, method and purpose of inter-personal communication has evolved to a new place. Technology has brought with it new understandings and new rules. I'm just a dinosaur, caught up in a lost age, trying to impose past standards on new methods. It's like reaching with the left foot for the button to lower the high beams on the car. It isn't there anymore.

But there is another point to be made in this dialogue and it is brought home by my remembering the Big Words sentence with which I began this blog. Employing a broad vocabulary is not the only goal (or even the best goal) of speaking the English language. Clear communication is right up there at the top of the list. It's about more than ego; it's about a desire to be respectful of the reader as well.

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REQUIEM: any musical service, hymn, or dirge for the respose of the dead. (Dictionary.com)

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Requiem is a word which (technically) refers to the music accompanying a liturgy for the dead. In recent usage, however, it has developed a broader meaning to incorporate any gesture, service, or gathering to remember those who have died. The Latin phrase requiem in pace, (rest in peace) shortened to the letters RIP is used commonly by persons of all faiths to be a prayer (spoken or silent) on behalf of those who have died. From my perspective it is used frivolously too many times in advertising, comic strips, or jokes. It is a serious, prayerful offering of condolence.

A week ago we were fascinated with the dead in the secular observance of the holiday Hallowe'en. (see posting on 10/31) But today it is not about costumes or candy or ghoulish pranks. Today this nation is shocked into requiem by tragic deaths of innocents in Fort Hood, Texas, and Orlando, Florida. Laced with other stories of kidnapped and murdered children and adults whose bodies have been found in garbage dumps and shallow graves behind a murderer's home, our sensibilities have been stunned. This is no Hallowe'en observance. It is real.

Americans don't like death, no matter what form it takes. But when senseless death occurs, as it has over the past week, our fear, anger, and righteous indignation surge to the top. Finger pointing and calls for angry response boil over from our usually placid manners.

The media brings instantaneous, live coverage of the events surrounding those deaths into our living rooms, making them personal tragedies for people of diverse natures. The dead are our friends, our relatives, our loved ones. We absorb the grief of those who are connected to the victims by blood, by law, and by common purpose. Our automatic search for meaning in an attempt to make sense of a senseless act falls short. There is no rational meaning, no matter how hard we try or how deeply we dig. Mental illness or a twisted heart cannot be explained away, either by clinical terms, or ideological rants.

The call for requiem is a call for peace for the soul of the victims. Some of those victims have died; others have experienced the death of a piece of them and will live the rest of their lives damaged by what they have seen, heard, or experienced. That requiem will not come easily, and for some it will never come. For those who have died, however, there is in a plea for requiem a hope that they rest apart from pain and suffering, embraced by an eternity which is a salve, eliminating the shock, fear, and pain that accompanied their deaths.

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HERO:

a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal: (Dictionary.com)

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I mentioned in yesterday's posting (Champion) that I think the word hero gets overused at times. Sometimes, in the midst of an emotional moment or significant event, the media and others affix the title of hero to someone simply because they have survived a crisis. Thus, the little girl who falls down an old well shaft and is rescued after two days is called a "little hero."

Just what is it that she has done? Is she a hero because she fell down in the hole? Does the fact that she survived two days without dying make her a hero? You get my point. If I get any nastier about this I will begin receiving equally nasty comments. I don't mean to diminish the significance of the little girl's ordeal or the wondrous fact that she has been rescued. It's wonderful, and I know that her parents and family and friends are ecstatic...as well they should be.

But she's not a hero. She did nothing to deserve an award, or recognition for bravery or courageous action. She simply survived and lived to tell the story to her grandchildren.

The risky criticism of the use of this word comes when I launch into military examples. In many peoples' minds the very fact that a person serves in the military makes them a hero. My late brother-in-law served during the Korean War era as an aide in a mortuary in Boston. He transported bodies from the mortuary to the morgue. He never saw himself as doing anything heroic, and would have laughed at anyone's attempt to make him a hero. There are many service members who type letters, hand out uniforms, or take photographs for their branch of the military. Granted, they may find themselves in a combat position by quirk of fate, but for the most part their life in the military is rather mundane.

HEROES throw themselves on live grenades to save the lives of their buddies. They rescue elderly people from upper stories of buildings which are on fire. They swim out into the water to save the life of a boy who is cramping up and drowning. They serve in combat and stand in harm's way.

Some teachers who volunteer to teach in the most difficult schools in large cities may be heroes. I would say the same for some physicians who volunteer to serve with Doctors Without Borders and there are examples of missionaries in disease-infested, remote villages in Africa doing heroic acts.

I'm not writing this to dismiss the service of brave men and women who take on difficult tasks. I simply want to reserve the word hero for those who go above and beyond that which is expected of them.

Please wait while I don my flak jacket, bullet-proof vest, and helmet before posting this. I suspect my narrow definition of the word hero will be difficult for some of you to accept. Let the comments come!

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CHAMPION:

a person who has defeated all opponents in a competition or series of competitions so as to hold first place.

(Dictionary.com)

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It seemed only appropriate to explore the word champion on the heels of the New York City Marathon and the 2009 World Series. Both have taken up a good deal of space in the news this week, a welcome respite from some of the gloomier news.

I chose to pursue this word because it, like the word hero, is so easily adopted in a casual way when the euphoria of an experience or an event takes place. The word champion is not intended, however, to be used frivolously. It doesn't mean something like "someone who takes part in an event and does a good job." As commendable as that may be, it is quite different from the meaning of champion.

There aren't many champions in life. They are memorable and usually find their way into books, museums, or other places where unique persons are identified. A week or so ago an article in The New York Times indicated that there are some, for instance, who deplore the presence in the New York Marathon of people who take six or seven hours (or more) to complete the race, sometimes walking most of the way. The person making the comment indicated that there are many who work hard, training for years, to compete for the prize in a marathon. Others "simply" participate to be able to say that they have completed the marathon. Time is not of significance to them. It is about gaining a credential. The commentator said this wasn't fair to him or the other athletes.

I'm ambivalent about that perspective. I understand it and agree with the person that there is something wrong with the practice. But I am also respectful of the people with a quiet story who are there for a reason, and for whom that participation in the marathon represents the surpassing of a barrier. Maybe there's a way to accommodate both perspectives.

And when it comes to the World Series, there is no question that the games leading up to the final best 4 out of 7 series are grueling and effective in sorting out the competitors. The elimination series is tough baseball. I watched my Red Sox become eliminated and knew that it was appropriate, but didn't begin to acknowledge the tough games they had won by pure grit and skill just to get to the playoffs. In spite of my allegiance to the Sox I found myself cheering for the Yankees, who were a superb team this year and deserved the title of champion. Like Smith-Barney, they achieved the victory the old fashioned way: They earned it.

The ancient act of crowning the victor in an athletic event with a crown of laurels is significant. It doesn't deny the abilities of the others who competed. But it does recognize the unique and outstanding credentials of those who surged to the lead and outlasted the others...the champion. In our society which seems so bent on "dissing" those who lose, we would do well to acknowledge that there are some who earn the laurels and others who aspire to them but fall short. It's not a negation of their attempt, but a recognition of the success of the victor.

Photo Credit: StockPhoto.com

BELLWETHER:

1. a wether or other male sheep that leads the flock,usually bearing a bell


2. a person or thing that assumes the leadership or forefront....


3. a person or thing that shows the existence or direction of a trend; index
4. a person who leads a mob, mutiny, conspiracy, or the like; ringleader (Dictionary.com)
   

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Who would have known? I didn't even have the right spelling!

Like many people, I suspect, I went after this word, spelling it bellweather. I had a suspicion that I knew what it meant, having read the word in lots and lots of published articles lately. But I was shocked when I pulled up my new friend, Dictionary.com, and discovered a new spelling and a definition I never could have anticipated. It opens all new avenues of thought for me. I intentionally included all four definitions because they are so interesting.

I have usually heard the term bellwether in use in political stories. Barack Obama was seen as a bellwether in the later hours of the 2008 elections, for instance. But of late, the term has been used as an adjective, to describe a situation emerging. Over the past few weeks we have heard that the elections of governors in New Jersey and Virginia were going to have bellwether implications nationally. The election of a new Member of Congress in the 23rd election district of New York State was going to be a bellwether election, having meanings that depended upon the political affiliation of the person being quoted.

I have to wonder now (tongue in cheek) which of the four meanings listed above was the reference point for the persons writing. Sheep, mobster....

But the interesting thing to me is that the term is used usually in reference to a person, and only incidentally to a thing. In the articles mentioned above, for instance, I am inclined to think that the commentators are referring to the political result rather than the individual. I'm not sure anyone is saying that the new Governors of New Jersey and Virginia or the new Member from the 23rd NY district are in the limelight for future roles . They could be, but I don't think that's what was being said.

Rather, I suspect that the fact that a Republican replaced a Democratic governor in both states is seen as a remarkable index of things to come for the Republican Party as it struggles to regain some credibility after the 2008 elections. And the fact that this is the second time that a Democrat has won elections in previously conservative, Republican Upstate New York is seen as a trend in that state. Time will tell as to whether these prognostications are accurate. Frequently we discover that it is too early to tell anything.

This is a good example of where one can go when discovering the real meaning of a word. I never thought bellwether would lead me off in this direction.

This was fun!

DECIDUOUS: Not permanent; transitory. (Dictionary.com)

Most people will relate the word deciduous to its primary usage referring to leaves falling from a tree. That is what inspired me to go to this word today. For the fourth week in a row my yard is filled with golden and scarlet leaves from the beautiful oaks that surround our house.

At first I went at them with a rake, filling the required paper bags and putting them out for the trash people. But then the deluge of leaves increased and exceeded my ability (and willingness) to fight with them. Our lawn care people came along (we live in a condo) and spent an entire day blowing them and scooping them (with a bucket loader) into trucks and carting them away. For an hour or so the lawn and sidewalk looked wonderful. Thankfully, the crew returns this Friday to repeat the drama. I'll let them do it. So much for an autumn ritual which I will gladly forgo.

But I'm intrigued with the lesser (third) meaning of deciduous which my new friend, dictionary.com lists: not permanent; transitory. It has more far-reaching use than an annual ritual of preparation for the snows of winter.

It is easy for us to grasp permanency as a crutch, depending upon faithful and predictable habits, traits, or practices. Permanence has a comfortable feel to it, like an old pair of slippers or a favorite sweatshirt. In the midst of rapid change (see a previous posting which referred to Alvin Toffler's book, Future Shock) there is a hero quality given to those things which are predictable and dependable. But the reality is that there is much in our lives which is deciduous. Transitory pieces of our lives can be less predictable and harder to embrace.

Children struggle with transitions from elementary school to middle school to high school. Adults struggle with transitions from college to new job to new job to new job, ad infinitum. There was a time when one graduated from college, took a low-level position in a career path, and then spent one's productive life working the way up the ladder in that career. Many times it meant staying with one company, agency, university, or other entity until the gold watch appeared at the retirement party. Not so much any more!

But it is important to remember that even transitory events in life, similar to leaves falling from trees, have a predictable character to them. Even though the leaves will grow from buds in the springtime, to healthy green leaves in the summer and beautiful golden pieces of art in the autumn, we know that they will fall. There is a predictability to the impermanence of their short lives. The deciduous character of a tree's shedding, when viewed from the larger perspective, is only a temporary, repeatable experience.

FORTITUDE: mental and emotional strength in facing difficulty, adversity, danger,or temptation courageously. (Dictionary.com)

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Fortitude is not something you learn, it is something that is part of your makeup. Maybe it is genetic, or maybe it is something which grows out of the environment in which you are raised. Wherever it comes from, Fortitude is a gift, especially in these difficult times.

When a person can be resilient in the face of difficulty, they are a whole step ahead of those who cave in and cry defeat. Hanging on the wall at the site of the Physical Therapy facility I frequent is a sign. It has just one word on it, Can't and there is a line through it. The message is clear. It is not a word spoken in that facility, and I have seen miracles occur in the situations of people who are there at the same time as my appointments.

My late mother-in-law was a woman who was born into adversity. Physical illness dogged her through her entire adult life...illness beyond that which most of us experience. Part of every day of her adult life had to be set aside for medical therapy which was difficult, uncomfortable, and humiliating. As a result of it, she was told she could bear no children. But she was a tough Irish woman who couldn't accept those words...thankfully. In spite of medical advice she gave birth to my wife, who has inherited some of her mother's fortitude.

Today my wife will face surgery which is difficult and potentially dangerous. But, in my wife's perspective, it is also a procedure which will free her from limitations and give her new strength. That's the kind of fortitude physicians welcome. It makes their job a little bit easier.