The Daily Word for June 30, 2021

 

empasm - noun - powder sprinkled on the body to prevent odor from sweating (Lexico.com)

I don't know about you, but this morning, I could've used an empasm. There are days when the deodorant from the Dollar Tree just won't cut it. Days like today, the ninety-five-plus-degree days that start with a temperature of 80 at 8 a.m. Naturally, I chose to book a tee time at 8:08, thinking I would escape the scorcher, but didn't. Although my friend and I survived playing nine holes of golf, it seems like it could be a day to hide behind the eight ball and hope that the heat will break. 

I drove home to find that a doe (yes, a deer) just figured out how to get around the vast blockade of protective netting I had erected to save my front bushes from a full-on attack, and was waiting for me inside the demilitarized zone, poised to eat everything green in sight. Somehow she broke out, leaving me frantically repairing the tears in the net and spraying Deer Off as if it were deodorant or some sort of empasm on a perspiring body. Contrarily, I left an unpleasant sent as opposed to a pleasant one, and I lost more in the way of sweat than the deer although we could've been on par, unlike my golf score. What now? A shower and some more in the way of empasms. 

If the scent of life gets too repugnant, sometimes there is a simple remedy. It might be at the Dollar Tree or it just might be in your own mind. 

Something to think about on Hump Day. 

Stay cool!

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The Daily Word for June 29, 2021

 

homunculus - noun - a very small human being (Google)

I have always found homunculus to be a word with a sense of humor. Which might have something to do with the fact that I first heard it used in Woody Allen's Manhattan. Woody's character uses it to reference an ex-lover of Diane Keaton's character. Even though the actor playing the part is about 5'2" (Woody is 5'5"), homunculus still comes off as exaggeration, and hence, is comical. Interestingly enough, according to Google, the word was popularized in sixteenth-century alchemy and used to indicate the creation of a miniature, fully formed human. 

Yesterday, I thought of the word while listening to my extremely socially distanced, not-fully-realized love in L.A. talk about his encounter with body builder, actor, Arnold Schwarzenegger at Golds Gym in Venice. If you Google the former governor of California, you will find that he is supposed to be 6' 2". However, according to my friend, he is 5' 7", a mere homunculus in comparison. I believe 5' 7" is true myself as in the 1980s, my mother shared an escalator in A.C. with Mr. Schwarzenegger. She, too, put his height at 5' 7". Why the internet insists on reporting the inaccurate information could very well have to do with ego: Arnold's. Many short, talented people, such as Danny DeVito (4' 10" a real homunculus) and Prince (5' 3"), have not suffered in popularity for being under 5' 5", so why would Schwarzenegger be so sensitive?

The takeaway of the anecdote is this: As a woman or a man or both, it is perfectly fine to be considered short. The sexiest men in my life aren't tall. And even if age decides to take off a few more inches of their height, they are still going to be attractive because of their disarming personalities. I'm sure Schwarzenegger would not be terminated as a celebrity if he were to segue into an authentic homunculus. He'd always "be back" to brighten rooms with his tall Austrian charm. 

Stand tall today and take on life as it comes. Happy Tuesday!

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The Daily Word for June 28, 2021

 

habile - adjective - deft or skillful (Lexico.com)

According to Google, habile is a rarely used word, but one that could possibly come back into style. (Feel free to make that happen.) You could argue that the reason why it has gone the route of the Oldsmobile is because there aren't too many habile people hanging around these days. However, I would disagree, citing evidence to the contrary.

This past weekend, my Millennial daughter treated me to a celebration of the 1987 film "Dirty Dancing" at Mountain Lake Lodge, a.k.a. Kellerman's, just outside Roanoke, Virginia. You might remember that the fictive resort is supposed to be in the Catskills. Well, the Shenandoahs are close relatives. In fact, it was hard to tell the difference between the mountain ranges. But I digress. In order to stay in business, the hotel sponsors several weekends a year devoted to fans of the film, and it includes a full itinerary of events including a showing of "Dirty Dancing" and dance lessons, featuring the choreographed combinations in the picture. (A swim in the lake where Johnny and Baby practice the lift in the movie is the only impossibility as the lake–all of it–vanished in 2008 due to shifting tectonic plates, a major disappointment. The tree-and-vegetation-infested gap left makes it look like aliens somehow abducted the water.) A local ballroom dance studio sent all of their best dancers to teach us weekenders the salsa, the swing, and the merengue, all a lot more doable than they sound. Despite being older and chubbier than the dancers in the film, all of the instructors were quite habile at being light on their feet as well as habile at teaching the moves as we participants trotted away competent in all three dances. 

Case in point: Other than the word itself, there is nothing antiquated about being habile. Studying hard and practicing anything will win you a degree of skillfulness, and most likely, a sense of pride in what you do. And there is nothing remotely sinful about that. 

Happy Monday! 

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The Daily Word for June 24, 2021

 

famulus - noun - an assistant or attendant, especially one working for a magician or scholar (Lexico.com)

If you are a baby boomer, you may remember watching "The Ed Sullivan Show" in the 1960s. If you are not, Ed, a highly unlikely homunculus of an M.C., featured a variety of acts ranging from dancing bears to the Beatles for one hour each Sunday night. If I am not mistaken, every once in a while, he would feature a male magician and his obsequious female famulus. Because of political correctness, you don't see too many of these circulating, especially not on television. They have been replaced by single sorcerers or enchanters like Penn and Teller, with whom I had the pleasure to work in Arthur Penn's "Penn and Teller Get Killed." One way or another, magicians can be fascinating. 

But so are those who are magicians in the metaphorical sense. Case in point: last night I was the famulus to a very gifted musician, Benny Harrison (The Young Rascals/Tommy James and the Shondells) at a facility housing homeless vets. Thanks to the philanthropic organization Voices of Valor, he and I will be assisting seven of these vets to write and record an original song. It will take us eight sessions. As we have done this before, we know that the entire process and the outcome will be nothing shy of an astonishing hat trick: Ultimately, the vets will walk away transformed. Last evening's initial session was analogous to the magician's tapping his hat with his wand. We left the vets anticipating their transformation. And by transforming them, we, too, will be transformed, healed in some way.

The point of my sharing the aforementioned is that you do not have to be a magician or his famulus to spark enchantment in someone's life. If you love someone, all you have to do is show that person you love him, her, or them. If you use your imagination to do this, their response should be nothing short of amazing. 

I'll be taking the weekend off. Will be back on Monday! 

Enjoy!

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The Daily Word for June 23, 2021

 

chalkdown - (S. African, informal) - noun - a teacher's strike (Lexico.com)

For many, today marks the last day of school before summer vacation. As far as I know, there is no single word that encapsulates it.  Chalkdown, if taken literally, comes close as the final day of school involves teachers putting down chalk and dusting off their hands for July and August. Although this is somewhat of a poetic image, it is not reality. Most teachers today use white boards and markers, not chalk boards and chalk. Still, teachers might always be associated with the antiquated image just as Alice Cooper's 1972 hit, "School's Out" is still played on the radio in celebration of the joyous occasion for students and teachers alike.

As a secondary ed English teacher who retired the June before the pandemic (whew! I just made it!), the last day of school no longer holds relevance. The memory of the relief felt at the end of that closing day is still edifying, though, especially as I experienced it each June for over twenty years. That being mentioned, I still embrace the cleansing sigh uttered each June 23rd and exhale it after comparable moments of difficulty that invariably lead into freedom, if only for brief periods. 

Sometimes when life gets tough, you have to have your own personal chalkdown: put down the ammo and walk away, immersed in a healing albeit tentative sigh. 

Happy Hump Day! 

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The Daily Word for June 22, 2021

 

bruxism - noun - involuntary and habitual grinding of teeth (Lexico.com)

I am completely convinced that there is a term for everything–at least in English. Sometimes I feel as though I am a substandard intellect since I don't know about 90% of seemingly insignificant verbiage like bruxism. But is it all that insignificant? In my case, maybe it's not. My daughter and millions of others suffer from bruxism. When she was a teenager, our dentist noticed the effects of her "involuntary and habitual grinding" of her teeth during her sleep at a check-up, forewarned her of the dangers of ignoring bruxism, and had a specific mouthguard made for her to wear each night to prevent her teeth from further wear and tear. I don't remember whether he called the spade, a spade (bruxism, bruxism), but most likely he did. Most likely he also included a definition of the malady, a translation many of you would have needed up until now. 

So, the next time you visit your dentist, and he or she (they) tells you that you have bruxism, you will perk up and say something along the lines of "I had a funny feeling I was grinding my teeth during sleep, but thanks for confirming it, Doc." Your dentist will be impressed with your knowledge of seemingly insignificant verbiage that may not be–at least not to him, her (or them). 

The moral of the story? You never know what words may help elevate your reputation to new heights, so stay glued to this blog.

Thanks and enjoy your Tuesday!

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The Daily Word for June 21, 2021

 

solstice - noun - the time of year (June 21 or December 22) at which the seasonal movement of the sun's daily path as seen from Earth pauses at a northern or southern limit before reversing direction (Google).

Today, we will experience the summer solstice. Not surprisingly, the word derives from Latin: sol, "the sun," and sistere ("to stand still") (Google). The calendar reminds us that June 21 is the first day of summer, the longest day of the year. 

I have always associated this particular day with time in a symbolic sense as we are provided with more day light to contemplate how we have spent our waking hours. Like the sun, we can pause and reflect on the past before making any moves toward the future. It could be another New Year's Eve in a sense. Since the end of a year signals a beginning, the possibility of positive change, why not offer a second opportunity, midway through the year on June 21st? 

Obviously, this past year has offered us a lot in the way of challenges, a lot to think about. Because COVID has forced us to accept restrictions not only for ourselves, but for the sake of others, some of us have learned to be a bit more unselfish. This is something that should not be reversed as selflessness is not a bad thing, yet I am starting to see that with the easing of protocols, people are reverting back to past behaviors reminiscent of the sun's reversing direction. Case in point: to celebrate our deceased dads (both baseball fans), yesterday my daughter and I went to a minor league baseball game, which was packed with mask-less people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, resorting to selfish practices as if the pandemic had never happened. Why? Because we want to get back to normalcy in the worst way. We are, after all, human and want what we want.

But maybe before we do step backwards into familiar patterns, maybe we can stand still under the sun just long enough to think about the person or persons standing next to us on this planet.

Happy Summer Solstice: 6/21/21!

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The Daily Word for June 20, 2021

 

deracinate - verb - to tear up something by the roots (Lexico.com)

June 20th marks the last official day of spring, a time of year during which weeds of all shapes and sizes begin to propagate. If you are into gardening as I am, you may spend an inordinate amount of time deracinating the unwanted dandelions, clover, crabgrass, etc. 

/dēˈrasəˌnāt/   

If you say deracinate aloud, it sounds like it involves a bit of serious violence or at least destruction, which is so appropriate because we amateur horticulturists do, after all, want to annihilate all species of plant life that are invasive enough to strangle the beautiful pedals that have a hard enough time reaching toward the sun as it is. We green-thumb owners can and do deracinate all ugliness–however green it may be–in favor of legitimate flowers, be they perennials or annuals or just grass: rye, fescue or otherwise. Although it often takes hours to deracinate well, the end result is always worth it even if the effect only lasts for a couple of weeks. As weeds are more virile and fecund than you are, realistically, you could spend a large part of the summer deracinating. But nothing is easy. Just remember, gardening is a choice like everything else. 

All of you dads out there can stop deracinating for one day since it is Father's Day. Have your kids do it for you. That's why you had them. Right? 

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The Daily Word for June 19, 2021

 

dight - verb - to make something ready for use (Lexico.com)

Dight is the kind of rarely used verb that could just come in handy, especially if you like to cook. Very few people on the planet have never dighted a meal. In fact, during the dark days of the pandemic, there were probably more individuals open to opening recipes on-line, or God forbid, opening cook books to find creative ideas for dighting new and different dishes. 

Last night, an ex-beau of mine who is now one of the five or six members of Platonic Anonymous (my "club" of single, currently celibate men) in good standing, dighted a delicious barbecue for me. Maybe I'm stereotyping here, but you gentlemen sure know how to dight a grill and succeed in conjuring up some edible magic. There isn't a member of Platonic Anonymous who doesn't know how to utilize those long-stemmed utensils as if they were wands or Excalibur in preparation for a charcoal broiled dinner. I, for one, appreciate all of you, men, women or otherwise, out there who are blessed with this kind of talent. Personally, gas grilling is not my thing as I am afraid I'll blow up half of the neighborhood. Dighting explosives has never appealed to me.

Of course, dighting anything safely should not be confided to the kitchen or deck or patio area. You can make just about anything ready for use. What will you dight this weekend? 

Enjoy!

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The Daily Word for June 18, 2021

 

breatharian - noun - a person that thinks it is possible through meditation to reach a level of consciousness wherein one can exist on air alone (Lexico.com)

Although I am not a breatharian, I do believe that meditation can elevate one to new heights. Several years ago when I was enduring an egregious break-up with a man who claimed to be a Buddhist (ironically, because he was pretty far from one), I read Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now and decided that meditation might relieve my heartbreak. It took a series of disciplined sessions to alleviate any and all thoughts of him until we decided to reconcile, which was a big mistake, a bad decision that meditation had nothing to do with. 

Fast forward about five years: as a teacher of high-school English, I was trying to manage a last-period class of mainly freshman boys who unknowingly were imitating the behavior found in most frat houses, but in a classroom. The same paramour mentioned in paragraph 1 suggested that I consult with the local Buddhist monks. I did, and they invited me to join their weekly guided meditations, which enabled me to survive Period 9 and all things unpleasant from that day forth. Interestingly enough, most of the attendees at the temple were either teachers or recovering substance abuse addicts (or perhaps both). 

What am I getting at? You don't have to go all in and become a breatharian to benefit from meditation, a.k.a. mindfulness. Recently, medical science discovered that it can cure depression. It certainly has helped me maintain altitude in any kind of turbulence, literally and figuratively. (And yes, continued meditation did finally give me the strength to walk away permanently from the faux Buddhist.) Try it if you haven't. Meditation may keep you airborne as well. 

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The Daily Word for June 17, 2021

 

momism - noun - 1. domination by one's mother or 2. excessive attachment to one's mother

Re. denotation number 1: I don't know about you, but I will never quite understand the concept of momism. Why some mothers on the planet are excessively attached to or controlling of their children, I have no idea. I have one daughter who is now thirty, and I've never tried to dominate her, not even in thumb wrestling. Okay, maybe thumb wrestling. Conversely, she has probably been more of a momism to me simply because her soul is older than mine is and sometimes will intervene to keep my immature one in check. I will never be able to act my age. I think that's a good thing, personally. But I digress. 

Re: denotation number 2: During the heat of the pandemic, I decided to read Sophocles's "Oedipus Rex" for no other reason than it was occupying shelf space in my spare bedroom, and I was bored. If you didn't read the play in high school, I'll give you a quick one-sentence synopsis: Oedipus, the king of Thebes (in Ancient Greece), unknowingly marries his mother, and eventually the incestuous situation causes both parties much grief. In psychology, the Oedipal complex involves the second definition of momism: a son's inability to break the apron strings connecting him to his mother. Unfortunately, I have dated or just known many men who have preternatural attachments to their mothers, and they are usually not fun since they tend to expect you to rise to meet the summit on which their mothers dwell. Seriously? Who wants to scale a mountain in order to meet and then compete with Mom? Not me. Nope.

My advice to all single women out there: if you meet a man who gets emotional at the mere thought of his living or deceased mother, turn and run for the nearest exit. You'll be happy you did. 

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The Daily Word for June 15, 2021

 

coriaceous - adjective - like leather (Lexico.com)

Like Neil Young, I am a "miner for a heart of gold," but I am also a miner for unusual vocabulary; otherwise, I wouldn't bother to write this blog. As you well know, there are some words that the English language could do without since it boasts a lexicon of about a half a million. There is no way any human could possibly remember all of those terms."Coriaceous" is probably an adjective that could be removed from the dictionary sans anyone noticing. 

However, I could have used it myself recently as I was shopping for a coriaceous black jacket on-line. In the search bar of my MacBook, I put in "faux," but I could've easily put in "coriaceous" as it would have been the more precise, more pretentious choice. On the other hand, being that I wound up purchasing from Walmart, I guess I would not have needed the pretentious choice. Although I hesitate to do any overt advertising, especially for huge conglomerates that don't need it, the forty-dollar coriaceous jacket that I bought looks and feels like real leather. After two days, it arrived Sunday morning via Fed Ex, and Walmart picked up the shipping costs. It doesn't get much better than that. 

What's the point? Coriaceous fabric may not replace actual leather entirely, but if you can't afford the real thing, go for the cheaper alternative. Which brings another classic rock tune into mind, courtesy of the Stones: "You can't always get what you want, but if you try some time, you might find, you'll get what you need." An obscure word like "coriaceous" could fit into a similar equation. You may not want it, but sometimes you might need it. It's all relative.

Happy Tuesday!

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The Daily Word for June 14, 2021

 

frondeur - noun. - a political rebel

Do you feel as though wherever you go, you run smack into politics? I do. And I don't particularly like it because it tends to be divisive. Nevertheless, I don't know if my animus for the topic is strong enough to motivate me to become a genuine frondeur. Although I may be intuitive, I don't possess the main ingredients of a true frondeur: the courage of a prophet and the chutzpah of any of the current wave of woke anarchists. I will just have to face facts: I'm apolitical, meaning I'm on the fence. I'd rather not be a frondeur, or a donkey or elephant, if you get my drift. You may or may not feel the same way. I'll hang on to the title I received in college after all of the sororities had rejected my application for admittance: GDI, a.k.a. "God Damn Independent." It does have a rebellious tone to it, though, that might work to my advantage someday should I start my own political movement. Just kidding. Refer back to sentence 5.

Today is Flag Day on the calendar. I'm guessing only elementary school children may celebrate it by holding up miniature replicas of the stars and stripes and waving them around midair whilst singing "God Bless America" on the way to lunch or recess. Yet, if you do call yourself an American citizen, chances are the country's flag means something to you as well. Even if you are a frondeur or a GDI, you might feel sentimental for the concept of patriotism or democracy. I do. So maybe at the end of the day, all of the political banter is worthwhile, but only if it results in unity, not division.

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The Daily Word for June 11, 2021

 

constellate - verb - to gather together in a cluster or group

Before the pandemic, who would have thought that we would all see constellating as a new-and-different phenomenon to be embraced as being that all-too-frequently-used word, "special"? No one. But we sure do now. More and more are trusting the idea of constellating, especially in safe places, such as outdoor restaurants, like the one I visited last night with four of my closest gal pals, whom I call "The Church Ladies," as we tend to frequent the same place of worship and have been for multitudinous years despite it not being particularly fashionable. (Did I actually write that long sentence? Whew!) Needless to mention, at the off-the-beaten path dining establishment, the tables were full, and the demand for excellent service, high. So high that the waiters were forced to move at a frenetic pace, making myriad mistakes along the way. Surely, they weren't accustomed to so many constellating on the same patio at the same time. Before the pandemic, who would have thought that waiters would have to get used to this degree of what was once considered commonplace?

Which brings me to a valid point: it is true that you never know what you've had until you have lost it. Yet if you are lucky enough, once you have regained it, you may not remember how to manage what you once managed, but once you do have it again, you should do tend to appreciate it. Does that make sense? Gosh, it's great just to constellate! 

Enjoy your Friday! Do some serious constellating. 

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The Daily Word for June 10, 2021

 

disenthrall - verb - to set free  (Lexico.com)

There are few things in life more freeing than music. It has an ineffable, mystical way of creeping into the system to disenthrall all listeners that are open to the experience. Case in point, last night, my musical partner and I presented an hour-long set of many Motown covers to a room of women recovering from abuse: physical, verbal, or substance. The effect was life changing. Our renditions of the songs, composed by a variety of artists, mainly from Berry Gordy's Detroit stable, managed to ease their way into the souls of the emotionally impaired women, affecting discernible alteration. Their bodies vibrated in time to the beats; their faces lit up with the intensity of halogen bulbs; their infectious smiles and laughter motivated our own. The entire situation was unifying if only for sixty minutes. Yet the memory of that one set and what it accomplished will last as long as we do. 

So if you are down in the dumps, go onto any music streaming platform, choose a favorite song, listen and rise from your abyss. You will disenthrall yourself for a least three minutes, guaranteed. 

Happy Humming to all! 

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The Daily Word for June 8, 2021

 

prescience - noun - knowledge of things before they exist

Prescience is under the nomenclature of "Perception," something that is not without a degree of subjectivity. Some individuals that are enormously intuitive have the gift of prescience. Personally, I think that common sense and life experience play a role in prescience as well, two traits that cut into the ranks of those that possess the traits by a large margin. 

However, being in a minority of any kind is sometimes a curse. For instance, if you are blessed with prescience, most people tend not to believe your predictions or simply laugh them off even if you have a history of accuracy, which they frequently forget. This is probably because perceiving the present or yourself precisely is hard enough as it is. 

But maybe that's the point. Instead of concentrating on the future, perhaps most would benefit if they lived in the present and focused on perceiving themselves correctly. I know. This is nearly impossible because of how humans are constructed, like drivers looking forward at what is in the distance through the windshield or backwards via the rearview mirror, not really noticing the scenery that is right before them. 

 If you are one of legions who has a hard time with self-awareness, you might wish to ask a trusted friend, the person riding shotgun in your life, if you are viewing yourself truthfully and then take time to listen and embrace. You may be better off once you take the blinders off. In any case, you could be prescient and avoid an accident. 

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#spilled thoughts, #motivation

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The Daily Word for June 4, 2021

 

chivalry - noun - an honorable and polite way of behaving toward women based on the medieval knightly system of religious, moral, and social codes (Google)

Is chivalry dead? And if it is, do we women really want it to be? As I can only speak for myself and I am female and independent and successful and strong, I want to say no. Perhaps the women's movement (antiquatedly referred to as "women's lib") has neutered chivalry according to the opinion of at least one of my male friends, but the knife has not gone much farther, certainly not into the heart.

Case in point: If you read yesterday's column, you might remember that my daughter and I drove out to the South Bronx to see the Yankees play Tampa Bay. Upon arriving at a very expensive parking lot across from the stadium, the attendant had us park flush up against a chainlink fence, prohibiting my daughter from exiting through the driver's side. If she had been able to do so, the Mazda's computer system would have alerted her that she had left the headlights on once she opened the door. Since it didn't, the lights remained on and eventually deadened the battery. 

Ergo, by inning 9, both the Yankees and my daughter and I were at a loss. They were down by seven, we didn't catch any fly balls and wound up with no transportation home to Jersey. Enter: two sets of modern day knights, the first being unsuccessful, the second being successful at jumping the car's battery. The good news was that we, the damsels in distress, didn't have to ask for assistance. All we had to do was prop up the hood, and stand there, looking dismayed, blonde, and completely vulnerable. Okay, so we could've waited for the assigned knight from AAA to get there, but nobody really wants to spend excessive amounts of time in a South Bronx parking lot, no offense to the South Bronx. Thank Goodness for chivalry!

Maybe chivalry doesn't have to be associated with gender? Maybe we could all just be chivalrous to each other via random acts of kindness? I'll vote yes on that. How about you? 

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The Daily Word for June 3, 2021

 

lollygag - verb - to spend time in an aimless or lazy way (lexico.com)

Although I may be wrong (and sometimes I am), it seems to me that we writers tend to lollygag more than most. We have a propensity for staring at a blank screen, hoping for that magical moment when the five horizontal pictures of lightbulbs in our brains align, and the words come pouring out like quarters from an old-fashioned slot machine. The odds never seem to be in our favor, though, but we tend to live for those rare moments of good fortune. 

As I don't feel as those today will be my lucky day as a writer, I've decided to play hooky and attend a Yankees' baseball game with my daughter. We will lollygag together in grand style as we'll be in the bleachers with the seriously profane fans that tend to be more entertaining than what's happening on the field. Who knows? Maybe Aaron Judge will slug a ball, and after it hits me in the head, I'll have a better idea of what I'll include in Chapter 4 of my inchoate novel. That's just the kind of luck I have. 

Maybe what I'm really trying to impart is that it's good to lollygag every once in a while. Try it, but don't like it too much.

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The Daily Word for June 2, 2021

 

eviternity - noun -eternal existence; interminable duration 

Have you ever contemplated eviternity? I suppose I have, but I can't see myself wanting to experience it on this planet. In a realm of flawless perfection, yes, but not around here. I don't even want to live until ninety unless I can retain a pain-free physical existence and lucid mental state, I'll pass. And my mind is already showing signs of age. Yet I am probably in the minority as the other day, I heard a radio newscaster reporting on scientists that study aging. Ostensibly, they claim that the miracles of modern medicine will only be able to extend life expectancy to 120 years for humans. Why 120 and not 121, I have no clue. (It's always a whole number, though, never an odd one.) I don't know about you, but that span of time would feel like eviternity 

The Daily Word for June 1, 2021

 

eucatastrophe - noun - a happy ending

Eucatastrophe may remind you of catastrophe, but it points to the opposite, the Hollywood ending. You know, the perfect, no-loose-ends, ebullient one that's unrealistic but makes you feel as though life is worth living after all. It's what you pay the big bucks for in a romcom. And now that movie theaters are back in business, I'm sure there will be a plethora of romcoms with eucatastrophes premiering soon as you and I and everybody else sure could use some laughs and eucatastrophes. 

Eucatastrophes may not be common in real life, but they do exist. Take this past weekend, for example. Where I was, it was 50 degrees and rainy for pretty much three days straight. I didn't mind as my garden and everything growing in it needed the dousing, but I'm sure those of you who were down the shore were disappointed. All was not lost, though, because by Monday, the clouds dissipated, the sun shone brilliantly, and the temps rose slightly. As most decided to leave the coastal locations early, probably on Sunday, the beach was virtually empty and the Garden State Parkway, devoid of traffic jams for the first time in many years.

Now that is what I'd call an eucatastrophe. 

Enjoy this short work week! 

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