Monday, May 31, 2010

A New Day

The rain in my heart has slowed to a drip, a drip that will likely always remain; a new day, a new chapter of my life is moving forward; a New Reality as my dad says.

I was pondering things the other day, as I am wont to do, and I realized how very much I love words.
We’d gone to see “Alice in Wonderland” with Johnny Depp, and while I think I was disappointed in the movie overall, I was delighted at the language that was used by Carroll, and that they had carried much of it over to the movie.

As the gallimaufry of characters were gamboling and galumphing their way across and through Wonderland, I realized that I loved words; I love words that sparkle with wit and intelligence; that while some may excoriate me for using big, fun, vivid words, I didn’t care! I was free to use whatever tongue tickler made me happy, and I was not about to be affected by superfluous or supercilious polemics to the contrary.

Why is it that we sometimes become pendulous when someone uses a word we don’t know? Why do we let big words exacerbate our confusion, instead of letting them enlighten our comprehension?
Because sometimes, these big, bold words are so much jabberwocky to our ears and brains, that’s why.

Can we banish this insipidness and move to a more developed palate? Can we exuviate the common, and adopt the extraordinary?

This is all very silly I know, but the question is very real; can we bring ourselves to elevate our vocabulary by 2 degrees? 10? 25?

Language is so beautiful, and so descriptive, we’ve let some fabulous words languish for ease, speed, and downright laziness.
It need not be so! Go buy a wonderful dictionary, the 1828 Webster’s is my recommendation, and buy a good thesaurus-no good recommendations, I’m still searching.

Dust off those archaic and arcane words and tickle your tongue; it’s well worth it!

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