Thoughts start out with promise--I can blog about that!--then after a few sentences . . . nothing.
Or I'll get on a roll in my morning journal--one thing leads to another, ideas pour in, jostling each other to be heard, waving their arms and shouting, "Me! Me!" I write them down, I develop several of the ideas. And then . . . when it's time to grab that idea and tease it into shape, it turns fickle and won't cooperate.
So today's post will examine some random thoughts.
-----
I can tell you about my last three months of reading. April, May, and June were good reading months.
April: 14 books--3 non-fiction, the rest mysteries
May: 20 books--2 non-fiction, the rest fiction
June: 15 books--3 non-fiction, the rest mysteries
From those 49 books, I wrote down 20 words I needed to look up. Depressing. I thought (erroneously, as it turns out) that English majors, no matter how long ago they studied, would be nearly as word-savvy as, say, the 10th Merriam Webster. Not true, alas.
Some samples: anaglypta; exigent; moiety; megrims; exiguous; cynosure; glacis, rodomontade . . . .
These weren't from scientific tomes or technical works. They were from novels or non-fiction general reading. Honest.
Sadly, the context of the words I didn't know gave me no clues.
-----
Here's a happier subject. I think.
I've been noticing how people greet each other. For instance:
"Hi, how are ya?" (casual)
"Hello, lovely to see you." (more formal, but friendly)
"How are things with you?" (interested, but not nosy)
Do you adjust your greeting for the greetee? I certainly do. My main circles are church groups, a few family get-togethers, and one-on-one visits with friends. Plenty of variety for various greetings.
For the flip side: How do you respond when people say, "How are you?"
"I'm well, thanks. How are things with you?"
"Could be worse."
"About half." (This one is reserved for only those closest to me. They expect honesty. And if I feel about half, I'll say so.)
The worst answer in the universe has to be, "I'm fine." But it certainly stops the asker from continuing a conversation about health, wealth, happiness, or anything in between. (Maybe that's the point.)
I learned about asking and answering questions about one's health from my relatives. My Aunt Dessie, who often had health problems, always answered, "I'm better, honey." I never heard her say she was well, or fine, or could be worse. Just, better. (She lived to be 94.)
Some answers reveal the person's emotional status: "I'd be great if my kids/dog/garden/truck/husband would just . . . ."
The one that wrings my heart, though, is the answer to my question about a friend's recent surgery.
Me: How are you getting along now?
Them: Pain level, on a scale of 1 to 10, is a 12!
Sorry I asked.
-----
Here's my last random thought for the day:
This is July 6th. The year is definitely half over.
Remaining days before Christmas: 172.
The only reason this concerns me at all is that ideas about Christmas gifts have heretofore appeared early--usually during June and July. Some years I've seen gifts that were just right for someone in the family, and bought them before school started.
This year my idea bank is empty.
-----
Hope you're having good summer reading, that your health is in top form, and you're not stressing about Christmas holidays yet.
Have a blessed week!
I always say "I'm fine" because it covers all my bases and I never really want to talk about health--there are too many other interesting things. My mother-in-law used to say she was "a little better," too.
ReplyDeleteYou're right about there are too many other interesting things to talk about besides health. Guess I have a limited group of people. Once we're past the health thing we're good.
DeleteAnd with some folks you learn not to ask, "How are you?", lest you get an honest answer! ;)
ReplyDelete