The Daily Word for March 31, 2021

 

ratoon - noun - shoot coming from a root of a crop plant (usually sugarcane)

When I think of spring, I think of natural signs, specifically the renewal of plant life. As a gardener, I enjoy observing ratoons, the shoots of my perennials showing themselves one millimeter per day until somehow they fully transmogrify into their adult selves. Before COVID, I didn't take the time to notice, but now I do. The whole process of winter segueing into spring proves that God is not only a reality, an architect of wonders, but a very good magician, better that my acquaintances, Penn and Teller. Of course, they had to model themselves after someone. I have become so caught up in observing that I have created an indoor garden so that I can become the Magician's assistant, encouraging the growth of marigolds in small containers like egg boxes, but more sophisticated. I had harvested the seeds from last year's crop that I had planted in my window boxes. Other than my cousin's snarky comment, "What? You growin' pot now?" I've heard nothing from no one to deter me. Like Jake and Elwood Blues, I'm on "a mission from God."

If you are feeling a bit detached from your environment, you may wish to do something similar. Help realize some beauty. It is easier than you think it is. 

Happy Last Day of March!

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The Daily Word for March 30, 2021

 

sialoquent - adj. - spraying spit while talking

Ha! Never in my wildest dreams did I think there was an adjective for speakers who coat their listeners with saliva. With COVID permeating the atmosphere, this sort of thing might just become illegal anyway. And surely if you wear a mask and are normally sialoquent, the lining of said mask will only wind up very damp and very uncomfortable. And the moisture might even produce a facial rash, which would be motivation enough to curb the tendency. I have to admit, though, I can't come up with any anecdotes related to this word since not one messy orator comes to mind. Do you know anyone who is sialoquent? Ergo, this is going to be a brief entry today. I hope you don't mind. 

Happy Tuesday!!!!! 

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The Daily Word for March 29, 2021

 

abibliophobia - noun - afraid of running out of things to read

All five of you following (and I'm being optimistic), please excuse me for not generating posts over the weekend. I was preparing mentally for my second dose of the Pfizer vaccine and didn't want to impart to you miscellaneous paranoid phobias, the least of which being abibliophobia. I'm guessing that you have never heard of this word? Neither has this platform as every time I type it, a red dotted line appears beneath it as if to scream, "WTF! This isn't a word. And if it is, it isn't spelled correctly." 

Today as I lie supine in bed, dealing with the minor aches and pains associated with a mild case of COVID, side effects of the vaccination that prove that the immune system is active, I now believe that there was no legitimate cause for abibliophobia. For whatever reason, reading materials surround me. I have The New Yorker, an esteemed publication that has rejected my creative writing consistently yet I still harbor no grudges; Time, the magazine that keeps me current; and a few shelves of somewhat current nonfiction and classic fiction, all of which deserve to be read. As a writer, you are, after all, what you read. As I am a classic (over 60), the antique authors appeal to me. To me, they have been mentors and teachers far superior to any creative writing professors I had in grad school. Why? They know without a doubt how to craft the English language well. 

In closing, if you ever develop abibliophobia and are trying to hone your skills as a writer, pick up a classic work of literature and analyze its voice. Try to imitate something that you find of value. You won't be sorry. 

Happy Full-Moon Monday! 

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The Daily Word for March 26, 2021

 

supine - adjective - lying or reclining face up

The word supine conjures up numerous optimistic images. Clinomaniacs (see yesterday's entry) who almost never get out of bed enjoy this position the most because it gives them a potential, full view of whatever it is that surrounds them. If in a typical bedroom, the view includes, but is not limited to an unobscured window, if they are lucky. 

Personally, I enjoy lying supine outside more than inside, preferably on a green lawn the thickness of padded shag carpeting, sans any irksome creatures, such as garter snakes. Why? From that position, the view of the sky on a mostly sunny day is idyllic. Much can be obtained from the miscellaneous formations of cumulus clouds as they stimulate the imagination, even that of a writer who needs the mental boost more than a small child. Lying supine alone is not as fun as lying with a partner as the possibilities are endless. You can fill in the blanks there. 

Go where the imagination takes you today, whether or not you choose to recline supine. The view from any perspective is glorious!

TGIF! 

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The Daily Word for March 25, 2021

 

clinomania - noun - the extreme desire to stay in bed

With the exception of Christmas morning, officially nine months away as per the calendar, when I traditionally wake up early just to open presents with my daughter, I have always leaned toward wanting to remain buried in blankets in heat or air conditioning during the early a.m. hours. Like many of you, clinomania or dysania–unfamiliar until about three minutes ago–is a condition not medically recognized that involves anxiety. The afflicted can often be afraid to leave the safe haven that a comfortable mattress can offer. I, fortunately, do not suffer from this psychological malady. My clinomania comes down to 1. not being a morning person (one of my first jobs was singing in clubs) and 2. indolence. What was exceedingly painful for me personally was having to rise at 5:45 a.m. when I labored (perfect word for it) as a high-school English teacher and had to greet students at 7:50 each morning. Seriously, I don't know how I survived twenty-two years of virtual somnambulism. What can I say? I must have maintained altitude via autopilot. 

At present, the pandemic and all the stress surrounding it are resulting in an influx of clinomania sufferers. Perhaps what makes things a little easier to get out of bed for some is the fact that so many are still working from home. The reality tends to keep people ensconced in their horizontal cocoons for a few minutes more, making it a tad harder to leave. Still people manage as the incentive is that they don't have to go through the protracted routine of getting fully dressed for the office; they can manage to wear the bottom half of their PJ's sans their bosses noticing, a reason in itself to remain optimistic. 

You'll get through this. Saturday, a day to practice clinomania securely is two days away. :). 

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The Daily Word for March 24, 2021

 

confabulate - verb - to talk, engage in conversation

When it comes down to verbal communication, the one-on-one, face-to-face exchange of verbiage,  "chat," an abbreviated form of "chatter" has replaced the more accurate, sophisticated "confabulate." Chat has become the trendy preference probably because most are unaware of its denotation. According to Google, to chatter means to "talk rapidly or incessantly about trivial matters." Chat sounds better than chatter, the pronunciation of which brings to mind cacophony, which is why the woke have decided to use the monosyllabic form. Aren't they pretty much monosyllabic anyway? 

Let's face it. Confabulate is more of what most want to do anyway. Don't you just want to have a slo-mo, basic, somewhat intelligent conversation with someone rather than engage in a high-speed, two-way chase of mundane gossip? If so, use confab instead of chat. Introduce something into the mix that will set your partner for a spin. Instead of texting, "Want to chat?" type in "Want to confab?" and see how he or she will react. I dare you. As usual, I'm going to be optimist and say that you may just wind up being a trendsetter. 

Happy Hump Day! 

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The Daily Word for March 23, 2021

 

lambent - gleaming, glowing

I am forty pages away from finishing Thomas Hardy's classic, Jude The Obscure, the epitome of prescience. Conceived in 1887, it focuses on protagonists Jude and Sue, who just happen to be first cousins, and somewhat shockingly, lovers. As the concept of marriage in their family borders on anathema, they never wed in the traditional, legal sense, deciding instead to live together and conceive children despite 19th century society's condemnation of their unorthodox choices. For the most part, they protect themselves by concealing the truth and moving from hamlet to hamlet. Today's term "lambent" is used in the novel at one point to depict the effect of candlelight on Sue's rueful face that is never placated. I can imagine that when the book was released in 1894, it was on the controversial side. However, Hardy was no fool. He sidestepped criticism and censure by taking a lambent moral stance by ensuring that the lovers suffer for their deceptive and "perverse" lifestyle. In the preface, he takes a decidedly objective stance.

What I find fascinating is how human nature does not change over time; only technology does. Today, as in Hardy's time, there are still conservatives making undue judgements against individuals that choose alternative paths although the liberal minded are supportive and seem to be making headway in the media. Can the indie-alternatives rise up against traditionalists or must they continue to struggle to find a safe haven? It is hard to say. 

Best to remain optimistic. 

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The Daily Word for March 22, 2021

 

kinetic - adjective - relating to motion

I like college basketball because it is controlled hyperactivity, purely kinetic. The bounce involves not just the ball, but the players and spectators. The NCAA championship is labeled March Madness because of the incendiary energy but also because of the unpredictability of the matchups. Anything can happen. Take last night's contest between Rutgers and Houston, the latter being the favored to win. During the all-important second half of the game, Rutgers, the underdog, was winning. It sure looked like Fate would topple the odds and lend a hand to the little team that could. However, as capricious Fate can never be trusted, Rutgers' star player fouled out with just a minute or two left, and their usually dependable three-point shooter missed the shot that would have tied the game, sending it into overtime. Had that happened, Rutgers could have beaten Houston. David might have conquered Goliath. Needless to say, kinetic energy transitioned into teary-eyed potential, for next season, that is. 

In life, just when you think you are moving in the right direction, circumstances can change, altering the kinetic trajectory. Confident you might spend along time preparing for something, only to find unexpected defeat. Fate can be inequitable. The best way to contend with unfair, fickle Fate is to keep moving in the right direction. Keep trying. Even if the odds are stacked against you, never give up because eventually Fate will back down, and you'll win the game. 

To quote Tom Petty, "Even the losers get lucky sometimes."

Happy Monday!

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The Daily Word for March 21, 2021

 

bumfuzzle - to cause confusion, to fluster

Last night, my daughter, age thirty, and I had a disagreement over something ridiculous as per usual when it comes to familial conflicts. I consider myself to be quite lucky as since the pandemic, we have only encountered three of these bumfuzzling experiences. Prior to COVID, she had been living with two roommates in Manhattan but moved home to save money for grad school when her employers went virtual. Apparently 55 percent of adult children in America have done the same thing. To state the obvious, it is not easy to live with most, adult children or any other kind of housemate, in close quarters 24-7 as no one is perfect. 

What is most bumfuzzling to me is why altercations tend to result in periods of "the silent treatment." Is pretending that the other person is invisible really going to help? Maybe. Maybe the angry one has to occupy her/his own space to sort things out in a self-centered way. In any case, I'll play the game because I have no other choice. When people are dying daily from a virus that is still not under control, I can't bother with the small stuff. 

"This, too, shall pass." Whenever bumfuzzled in a bind, apply optimism. 

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The Daily Word for March 20, 2021

 

aurora - noun - early-morning dawn

As today is the first day of spring (according to my calendar), I thought I'd choose a word that relates to light and rebirth. Successfully, aurora completes the equation. With every new dawn, there is a renaissance of possibilities. With every new spring, there is the renewal of life. 

A month ago, I wasn't sleeping well because excess, unwanted light from headlights was peering through the breathing holes in my cheap, plastic Home Depot blinds and waking me up in the middle of the night. Out of desperation to feel refreshed each morning after sleeping through the night, I spent the big bucks on custom, black-out blinds, curiously made from aluminum foil. Despite allowing some light in via the sides, they do the trick of darkening the room pretty severely. In fact, I can probably sleep my way through any and all auroras. 

But do I want to? No. Somehow, over the years, I have inadvertently trained myself to wake up at specific hour: pretty much around 7 a.m. It is almost as though my body clock doesn't want me to miss the aurora, which is good because it is a motivating presence. Symbolically, dawn suggests that life is beginning all over again, so if you had a bad day hours before, you now have a chance to start all over again and to right all wrongs previously committed. Awesome!

Thinking optimistically, as always, G. 

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The Daily Word for March 19, 2021

 

adventitious - adjective - unplanned, accidental

Adventitious is a solid word, reminiscent of serendipitous, a term already featured in this column. Surely the best things in life could be adventitious, especially during these times of uncertainty. You must be resilient and spontaneous to avoid oncoming traffic of any kind. Even during "normal" times–I hesitate to use that adjective since normalcy is relative and "new normal" has become one of those trendy phrases of the extremely woke–it is hard to plan accordingly. In 1785, Scottish writer Robbie Burns immortalized it best in his Gaelic "To a Mouse...": "The best laid schemes o'mice an' men/gang aft a gley," which simply means what you have put on your agenda for the week, month, year, etc. may not come to pass as imagined. There is a good chance of everything falling apart at the seams. John Steinbeck borrowed a portion of Burns' poem and used it as a title "Of Mice and Men" for his classic tale of thwarted dreams. Surely you remember reading it in ninth grade just as I recall teaching it. Nothing goes as planned for fictive Lennie Small (who is quite large), George Milton and everyone else in the realm of nonfiction that dare to preconceive notions.

What is the best advice for the optimist? Stay in the moment. Be Zen. It works well. 

Happy Friday to all and to all a wonderful weekend! 

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The Daily Word for March 18, 2021

 

militarized zone - noun - area heavily occupied by military personnel 

The opposite of a demilitarized zone is a militarized one. I just got back from getting a COVID test at a drive-thru, portable encampment, complete with moss green tents, erected in a local university's parking lot. As my daughter and I were waiting in our car to have our noses swabbed with an overgrown Q-tip, I couldn't help but flashback to two analogous experiences: waiting on a similar line at the DMV to get my car inspected and waiting on a tour bus to cross into then Communist Hungary from Austria in 1979.  The latter encounter was more like the initial than the former. Why? The police presence. As I was observing the police officers confabulating, positively glowing in their canary yellow uniforms, I kept thinking that one would knock on my window and ask me for my passport at any moment. I wound up being close because I was asked for my driver's license. Same difference. There is a fine line between government procedural norms, it seems. 

So what does this have to do with optimism? Well, the small picture doesn't; the large one does. The COVID facility was quite full on a rainy Thursday morning, which, despite the militaristic feel, is a favorable sign. Simply put, more and more people are willing to be tested for COVID, something that could translate into the assumption that more and more people are willing to follow the rules even in a free country. If people are willing to do what it takes voluntarily, then we might just get through this pandemic a lot sooner. That's being optimistic. Right? 

Always look on the sunny side of life. I'm not sure who said it first, but it's a pretty practical suggestion to leave you with today. 

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The Daily Word for March 17, 2021 St. Patrick's Day

 

galore - adjective - a lot; in abundance

Since today is St. Patrick's Day, it is only fitting to feature a Celtic Irish word that has slithered its way into the English lexicon. Galore is a term with both a positive denotation and connotation (if you see it as being on par with indulgence, which could go either way). It derives from "go leor," Celtic for "'til plenty."

 When I think of St. Patrick's Day, what comes to mind immediately is green beer. For me, the day has always been about both the color green and alcoholic beverages galore although since I cannot drink myself due to medical reasons, I have always been in the position of objective observer. Especially in New York City, the Irish holiday has always been an excuse to leave the office early, meet clients in a packed pub, imbibe till heady, forget about returning to the office, and once back in the apartment, pass out, preferably on a bed, not on the floor. But since the pandemic is still with us, that sort of behavior might have gone out with a mask-less existence. That being said, I'm sure quite a few "rules" will be broken today, simply because people need to break them to keep from breaking themselves. 

For those of you who are Irish or just Irish at heart, Happy St. Paddy's Day. 

Have a bit of safe fun, if you get my drift. 

💚

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The Daily Word for March 16, 2021

 

myopic - adj. - shortsighted; unimaginative

Myopic comes from the Greek word myops, which literally means blinking or closing the eyes. I can remember the definition by separating the term into two parts: my (my own) and opic (similar to optic or sight) or my sight. When I become too self-involved, I can only see what is in front of my face, which isn't much. I limit the field, ergo, my own imagination. In short, I progress or digress into myopia. 

If we aspire to reach optimism, we have to open our minds in order to close out myopia. It is important to see the forest but not permit each tree (or challenge) that stands before us to thwart the forward path. Positive possibilities are on the horizon. To reach them, we have to acknowledge (maybe even hug) and then work our way around each tree. 

To summarize: embrace, let go, and move forward.  Don't forget to enjoy the journey. 

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The Daily Word for March 15, 2021

 

aplomb - noun - poise, self-assurance

Aplomb is a word packed with the wow-factor. If you own aplomb, you are in rare possession of "it," i.e. that certain something that sets you apart from the status quo. Aplomb comes close to defining what the indefinable having "it" means. 

Case in point, last Thursday night I performed my mini-musical "Torey the Turkey Goes Skiing" (available for viewing on YouTube) at a safe house for abused women and children. As an entertainer, this sort of gig is always a test of nerves and patience as the kids (the primary audience) in these secure, secret residences are often on the unruly side, and the moms are too preoccupied with mundane goings on to notice. Or they simply don't wish to. Or they simply cannot manage their own offspring. On the other hand, I can usually find an older, more open-minded teen to play to if the planets are in alignment. The other night, they were, and Jeremiah, a twelve-year-old boy who had probably seen too much of the downside of life, was in attendance. He could not have had more aplomb in every sense of the word. I don't know who was more inspiring to whom, him to me or me to him, but we connected on a profound level. Aplomb is not something that is restricted to people of certain ages. For some, it comes naturally or preternaturally, depending upon how you perceive it. 

Walk on through the week with poise and self-assurance. It might take you down an optimistic path. 

Enjoy! 

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The Daily Word for March 11, 2021

 

epicene - adjective - having characteristics of both sexes; androgynous 

"Imagine all the people living life in peace." - John Lennon

Because androgynous people have always existed, the word epicene is not new. We human beings of all shapes, sizes, colors, etc. have been around for about 200,000 years. Fundamentally over time, human nature hasn't changed. What does seem to be a fairly recent innovation is our preoccupation with multifarious labels that highlight aspects of individuality/identity, yet serve to alienate and marginalize. I can't even begin to list some of the most popular lately as I do not wish to single anyone out and potentially offend. That is not my purpose. I'm the optimist, remember? 

Thinking optimistically, I'd like to ride piggyback on John and Yoko's "Imagine" and suggest that we spend time envisioning and maybe even actualizing the perfect case scenario: Would it be possible to condense all of the labels into one? Could we all just be humans? Or sentient souls? If we must judge, can we just analyze character, not race, gender, sexuality, or anything else? If we could, I'm thinking that equality and peace might just evolve naturally from this new state of mind. Conflicts might dissolve so that Love could conquer. It's a tall order. Imagine that.

"You might say I'm a dreamer. But I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will be as one."- John Lennon

I'll be taking the weekend off. 

Enjoy yours! 

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The Daily Word for March 10, 2021

 

panegyrist - n. - orator that delivers praise

Admittedly, I gleaned "panegyrist" from last night's reading of Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. Sometimes I think that the only reason why I bother reading challenging classics is to keep from mental deterioration, so common during these times of excessive fire stick usage. Contemplating the denotation, I concluded that perhaps–like the complex syntax of Hardy's voice–articulate panegyrists are a rarity today. Case in point, a friend of mine whose thirty-year-old daughter could be a top panegyrist if she sought that goal commented that Meghan Markel did not resort to the commonplace "um" or "and um" during her recent interview with Oprah, whereas fastidious I, the former high-school public speaking teacher, picked up on many "and um" combinations that she used as transitions between topics. Where am I going with this? It could be that viewers are starting to become inured to what constitutes the rhetorical status quo. 

Because I am somewhat of a geek when it comes to the presentation of the English language, I often wonder that if people wrote and spoke like Hardy and his contemporaries, they would be happier. Of course, it would take a lot of effort on their part, but if people did mind their p's and q's in this domain, would they feel more confident about themselves and consequently take on a more optimistic view of the world? 

Seriously, I don't know. But I may be thinking about it all day now. Care to join me? 

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The Daily Word for March 9, 2021

 

purlieu - noun - the area surrounding a place

Last night as I was reading Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure (oh, come on, doesn't everyone read nineteenth century classics at bedtime?), I came across purlieu, and admittedly, had to look it up. I had seen it before, perhaps in another classic, but couldn't remember its denotation. It is definitely a word that has been left out in the cold, probably in an area surrounding a place. Why do certain words stay in use and others disappear? It could be that more common synonyms have replaced purlieu. For instance, milieu does have the same suffix "lieu" and could be used in place of purlieu. Maybe it is a British thing. The Brits being the founders of the language might just respect vocabulary a bit more. Certainly Hardy and his contemporaries did, but it could be that they were better educated as well. In any case, vastness of verbiage has always been associated with intelligence. 

But I digress a bit. Cue: optimism. During forced isolation out of boredom, I began to notice minutiae of my purlieu. In short, just by gazing about my garden, I started to appreciate what I had once never really seen up close and personal, such as the lavations of squirrels, the craftiness of robins, the playfulness of chipmunks, etc. I found these creatures quite fascinating and a joy to observe. The conclusion? Little things make life worth living. The feel-good film exists right outside of your window in the purlieu. 

Happy Tuesday! 

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The Daily Word for March 8, 2021

 

ruminate - verb - 1. to contemplate or think deeply about something or 2. to chew partially digested food

"And now for something completely different" (cue Monty Python), I am including both denotations of a word, not just the primary. Why, you ask? The two are so different, yet related. Most intelligent adults know that rumination involves thinking, not that they want to put much effort into it lately unless forced. Yesterday, I was lucky enough to get part uno of the COVID-19 vaccination, courtesy of Pfizer, at a clinic forty minutes north of my house. Afterwards, I was asked to wait thirty minutes in case of side effects. So in a sterile section, I sat in a translucent cubicle, six feet from others who were doing the same thing. As I had no reading materials on me other than my smartphone that was battery compromised, I started the precarious occupation of rumination. Immediately, I thought of Woody Allen. Yes, I know. Strange. But actually it made sense given who I am. In situations that conjure fear, I tend to ruminate along comical lines. Remembering a scene from Allen's satirical "Take the Money and Run," I envisioned turning into a rabbi as a possible aftereffect, and I smiled. (I'm a Christian woman.) How's that for optimism? O.K., I guess if you're Jewish, you may not see it that way. Yet in my case, the incongruence was comic.

Part dos of the definition is usually related to goats or other dense farm animals since they chew the cud (re-chew what may be regurgitated - yuck) probably without realizing it. I doubt if goats ruminate when they ruminate, but we could and most likely do. Even a "This is gross" would count as rumination under these circumstances. If you like meat and happen to be chewing a piece of steak that is well done, you might be doing quite a bit of ruminating while ruminating just to get through the experience.

What you choose to ruminate about or over is, of course, your prerogative. You create your own mindset. While in my situation (medical duress), which was surely a test of patience, I could have gone in the opposite direction and drummed up negative imagery, provoking fear. However, being an optimist, that option was not in my bag of tricks. Rumination, after all, is under the nomenclature of "Free Will." 

Words to the wise: when ruminating, choose comedy over tragedy when possible.

Happy Monday! 

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The Daily Word for March 7, 2021

 

desultory - adjective - lacking enthusiasm or any kind of plan

Obviously, desultory isn't a positive word; when spoken, it doesn't even sound like it could be. In fact, it reverberates its own denotation. Yet sometimes you have to use contrast to make a point. 

In life, it's easy to be desultory. You can drift aimlessly from one routine pursuit to another sans any real ebullience. Why? Ordinary will always be ordinary. Especially lately, it has been hard to invent tasks in which to immerse the self sans being repetitive. Repetition sucks out the zing. Nowadays, one has to embrace the creative–the new and different–to reap the rewards or just bypass the desultory.

Is it hard to be that thinker standing outside of the box? Maybe. Maybe not. The best thing to come out of this pandemic is originality. There are a lot of people out there that have shed desultory vibes in order to keep their sanity and have found freedom of expression in forms of art. They are doing things they never thought possible, like blogging, for instance. One way to maintain optimism is to be joyously engaged in a constructive task. 

Today, think about doing some coloring, literally or figuratively, inside or outside of your own borders.

Have a sunny Sunday! 

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The Daily Word for March 6, 2021

 

recapitulation - noun - summary or restatement of the main points

Believe it or not, I had a dream about this word. I dreamt that an unnamed shadow and I were debating over its length: six syllables. Have you noticed lately that people tend to abbreviate lengthy words or terms? For one, recapitulation is rarely regurgitated whole. It usually comes up as "recap," as in "Would you like a recap of what I just said?" The answer? Probably not. Do you think this trendy truncation is due to verbal indolence? Huh! Now that's a mouthful! Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe like everything else, it is just a sign of the times, related to skirting the rules. Who has time for them?

Which unearths another point: If we didn't condense unnecessarily, would we be more optimistic about accepting what is at face value as in rules? Truth? This is a hard question. One that shouldn't be dealt with at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning. I'll leave you to ponder this one alone. Most likely, you are fully awake. 

Let me know if you come up with anything. 

Happy Saturday! 

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The Daily Word for March 5, 2021

 

inimitable - adjective - not able to be duplicated; uniquely extraordinary

In the digital age, not much is original. As a singer/songwriter who has just released a debut EP and who is scanning playlists to find the right curators that will accept the music, I am uncovering a lot of nascent artists that tend to mimic the stylings of the established well-known. Is it intentional? Are they thinking that if they can jump into the back of cardi b's or Justin Bieber's or Taylor Swift's hatchback SUV that they will get to the same place that their rich-and-famous drivers' inhabit? 

Personally, I tend to look to the classic artists for inspiration, not imitation. The truly inimitable vocal stylist Judy Garland, with whom my dad, a private in the infantry during WWII, danced for sixty seconds at the Hollywood Canteen in 1942, once said:

"Always be a first rate version of yourself instead of a second rate version of somebody else."

It wouldn't surprise me if she said it to my father, too. You never know.

O.K., good advice, so how does this connect to optimism? If you are entirely yourself and never feel that you have to be anyone else, you possess confidence that emits a positive glow. You feel whole, happy. Your enthusiasm is palpable. You can't help but think that each day will be better than the day before. Ta da! 

Try it. You'll like it :). 

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The Daily Word for March 4, 2021

 

sagacious - adjective - clever, shrewd, showing good judgment

Can sagacity lead to optimism? I would say yes, and I'll explain after I impart a bit of exposition.

I first discovered the word "sagacious" when I was an undergrad at Bucknell in the late 1970s. For some class, and I don't remember which one, the professor assigned Henry Fielding's classic novel Tom Jones. For whatever reason, "sagacious" seemed to be the singular most used word in the book. Ergo, after looking its denotation up in the dictionary (yes, we did that back in the dark ages), I used it quite regularly myself if only to guarantee  permanent placement in my long term memory. I'm sure I impressed a few peers as well. 

And now back to the answer to the initial question: Sagacity can lead to optimism. If you are sagacious, you most likely own at least a modicum of common sense, which isn't terribly common. If you do, then you know that life is a paradox or balance. After a period of dread, there has to be a period of confidence. Since we have been in an abyss for a year now, the sagacious optimists can see a ladder leading up into the sunshine. All we have to do is garner the courage to climb it. Don't think about it. Just do it. 

Enjoy your Hump Day! 

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The Daily Word for March 3, 2021

 

evanesce - verb - to drift out of memory or sight 

This morning I heard on the radio that President Biden expects to have the entire country vaccinated by May. If this truly happens, does it mean that COVID-19 will evanesce completely? Most likely, no, but eventually, it will take its place alongside the other commonplace maladies, such as the flu, and merge into the line-up of viruses so that in a few years, the death toll from it will no longer be on the front page of the daily newspapers or headlining on Twitter. Those conscience of their health and perhaps the health of others may still wear masks when in crowded quarters although vanity could win out over conscientiousness. 

Where am I going with this? Where's the connection to optimism? Well, cue up George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" for the answer. After the storm runs its course and the damage dealt with, the worst of it will evanesce. The sun will appear, illuminating all that is good. 

Amen. 

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The Daily Word for March 2, 2021

 

peregrination - noun - a long, meandering journey

Last night while immersed in a literary peregrination reading the latest edition of The New Yorker, I came across a book review of Hermione Lee's Tom Stoppard: A Life, using peregrination in a reference to the playwright's childhood. Although I was already familiar with the term, I had not seen it used in a long time. Even at that late hour, what immediately came into my mind was the peregrine falcon, whose name means wanderer. The bird just happens to have one of the longest migrations, which could be a good fact to remember if you are stuck in a pinch, can't recall the definition of the word, and have to depend on association. You never know. You could become a contestant on "Jeopardy" someday and might come up against "noun meaning a long, meandering journey, like that of a specific falcon." "What is peregrination?" "You got it!" That answer could win you the big bucks.

All satirical speculation aside, life is a peregrination. We are all on long, meandering journeys that intersect at junctures. Often there are detours that force us to become waylaid in one state of mind or another. Yet along the path, we can choose to accomplish great deeds or not; we can choose. That in itself is something to be contemplated.  

Enjoy this second day in March. 

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The Daily Word for March 1, 2021

 

melodious - adjective - attractive to the ear

I know. You've seen this word before. Bear with me, though. I can connect it to optimism. 

Before I could write and perhaps even speak well, I sang. Whether or not my voice was melodious at the age of four, I can't remember. Yet I have always been capable of carrying a tune and had intrinsic taste in music since I established a Beatles' fan club at five. Precocious? Yes. Flash forward to the present: I am still singing, only now I am a professional, writing lyrics and music and trying like heck to splash into the current wave that is the music scene. What I am finding as I promote my tunes to playlist curators is that not everything under the nomenclature of "Music" is melodious. A lot is far from it, but there seems to be an audience for just about anything. 

Which is a good thing, an optimistic thing. Something that is motivational in itself when you think about it. If you are on the edge of taking a creative or business risk, muster the courage to take the plunge into the deep end of the pool. Why? Well, you may find an audience large enough to substantiate your investment. And you could wind up humming a melodious song when you see the numbers. 

Enjoy the day! 

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