A million words ... and counting
Here I am once again sitting at the kitchen table in what was once my late mother’s little attached apartment. It’s Sunday afternoon and I’ve usually already written my column, but I just didn’t get started early this time. Circumstances were not conducive for me to write when I usually do. It’s OK.
My middle son, Hayden, has checked over my columns for years; in fact, ever since his college days. I was trying to come up with a column for this next week and needed something different. Hayden asked me how long I had been writing columns. I pondered this question and had no idea. I’ve been writing regularly since the ’80s — about 35 or 40 years as a weekly or monthly columnist in a newspaper or magazine. I was also a newspaper reporter before that. And, I’ve written a couple of unpublished books.
He did some figuring and showed me what he came up with — at least 1,000,000 words. “That’s about how many words you have written, give or take a few,” he told me. Y’all, a million is a lot. The thing is, I’ve been writing all kinds of words since I was a kid. It’s something that I was compelled to do.
In college, I took a class on short story writing. The professor was an elderly man who sat in a straight-backed chair and wore his glasses at almost the end of his nose. He settled that chair back to the wall with the front legs off the floor and peered down his nose at his class. He was a wee bit intimidating, but I loved the class.
The final in his class was to write a short story, which I did. On the day it was due, I stuffed together scraps of paper with the words written on it, feeling like a failure and knowing he would never call on me to read my story. I was wrong. He called on me and I had to piece together my story. It was about a woman wrongly placed in a mental asylum. I wished I was her when reading my story. He peered down his glasses at me with an amused look on his face and said, “Miss Emert (my maiden name). I hope this has been a lesson to you to always be prepared. You’ll be a writer some day. I don’t think a publisher would accept your scraps of paper.”
I thanked him. All I could think about was that he told me I would be a writer. I was on top of the world. He couldn’t have told me anything better. I went on to become an educator, but have been writing for many years.
I love words — all words. Make no mistake, the English language is difficult. So many words that are pronounced the same but have totally different meanings. Some words have silent letters for no apparent reason. Grammar seems to be like a foreign language to many American-born students. I used to try to teach the difference between their, there and they’re or your and you’re. That apostrophe got ’em every time. And, lord help us, an ’s generally shows ownership not plurals, but it can, depending on the usage.
Moving right along. For this column, I asked people to tell me what their favorite words are. What a fun thing for me to share. My brother, who is a college professor, answered his phone and was grading papers. He teaches advanced business and his words were “critical analysis.” He was looking for examples and not having any luck.
Other great words shared with me were “yada yada.” Seinfeld was where this word originated. “Slipshod” is a great word. I love “plethora” and “serendipitous.” “Kerfuffle” ... “Sagacious” ... “Guffaw” ... “Shenanigans.”
Some people chose the simplest of words like “love you,” “yonder” and “hope.” A long-time friend chose “malarkey,” my daddy’s favorite word. He used to say it all the time. My brilliant scientist sister told me “sunrise.” She thought it was the most beautiful time of the day. It brought in newness. I really like that.
My daughter’s word was “crumble.” Interesting. And my word is “sprizzle” — a word I made up that means a drink with bubbles that tickle your nose. Years ago, when I worked for a newspaper, my editor always asked if a word I used was mine or real.
My one-time student Carolyn Mclain wrote as a favorite group of words, “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
If you don’t know what some of these words mean, “Google” them or find a dictionary. You can find words like “copious.” Instead of “a lot” use “copious.”
Good luck in your search and thanks everyone for your words!