It was a busy, heavy traffic morning (as usual) driving to work in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. A yellow school bus pulled in front of me. I was dismayed. It is hard to see around them and it is also difficult to see the traffic lights above them. Before long, we were stopped at a traffic light near the Vulcan statue.
I am fascinated with words. Words can inspire, encourage, entertain, inform, heal, or hurt. Perhaps it is the idealist in me that believes words can change the world. Sadly, sometimes words are used to mislead—witness the use of words in political rhetoric. One faction may use words to paint another group as “other” through name-calling and divisive, inflammatory rhetoric. Never mind that the words are untrue—by being spoken or written, someone will believe them. That is the power of words.
I hope you are as gleeful as I am when you happen upon a new word. I love finding new words to enrich my vocabulary and which provide a fresh way to say something. Try to remember the last time you learned a new word.
It has been hard to enjoy spring this year. Covid is still with us. The brutal attack on Ukraine brings a sense of sadness and horror dampening thoughts for world harmony. Pictures of families torn apart are heartbreaking. Seeing towns with buildings destroyed is hideous. This is such a waste. Do I still hope for the promise of spring?
Is imperfection a gift? Imperfection hardly seems like a gift. In fact, it seems undesirable. Something must be flawed if it is not perfect. But is that true?
In my previous blog I describe growing up in the sixties. I was too young to understand most of the significance of the Sixties’ societal issues. Even so, cultural shifts, social unrest, and political turbulence unfolded (sometimes exploded) around me.
I just had a birthday . . . the one that officially signifies that I am old! At the ripe age of sixty-five, I don’t feel old mentally as I still have much I want to accomplish. However, it does make one stop and ponder the past and what influences made you who you are. I am a child of the sixties―the decade of peace and love.
Nothing compares to being in love. In the previous blog I shared my Top Ten Favorite Love Songs—plus honorable mentions and favorites from The Great American Songbook. I also mentioned that in songwriting classes we are urged to find new and different ways to write love songs. We are told to never use the words sun, moon, or stars and to never use the phrase “heart and soul.”
Music has a way of speaking right to the heart. And, most especially, love songs express what we can’t say with mere words. I want to share my Top Ten Favorite Love Songs—just in time for Valentine’s Day!
The world right now is not what I would wish it to be. I will be the first to admit that the last two years have been challenging, scary, disheartening, and maddening. Yet, I am alive. I have survived and endured. I hope for a better future and am glad to say, “Welcome!”to the new year.
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