Ten Words

Lettergirl, who writes the awesome Not Going Postal, asked “What are your favorite 10 words and why?” Frankly, I think she’s looking to thin out her blogroll, and what better way to flush out the marginally unstable than to get someone to admit that one of their favorite words is “annihilation”. Or “barbecue”.

But no, I’m not going to fall into that trap. (Pauses to feed cat and make coffee) No siree.

So, here are ten of my favorite words, in no particular order of preference:

1. Nap. I was talking about this with someone, yesterday. Just the word itself brings on that soft, warm, fuzzy feeling inside. A glow of contentment that starts in your chest and radiates throughout your body. Around 3:00 in the afternoon, I must have either a cup of coffee or a nap. On a cloudy, rainy afternoon, what could be better? As children, we always regarded naps as a conspiracy by the grownups to steal away some of our precious few daylight hours. As an adult, it’s a rare – almost decadent – pleasure. If I had a meditation mantra, it would be nap.

2. Humor. The ability to laugh is uniquely human, I think. I can’t even imagine a world without humor. To not take yourself too seriously is a trait I admire. People who laugh are healthier in body and mind. If you can’t find something, anything to laugh at during the course of any day, you’re either just not trying, or you’re dead.

3. Habitat. It’s home. Not just my home, but the home of all creatures, great and small. It’s nature and nurture. I’ve always been a cheerleader for the creation of backyard habitats, planting native species, and encouraging wildlife. Like Buzzy McPollenpants up there at the top of this post. It’s not just for them, it’s for us, too. Click on that link over there on the left, and find out how you can do it, too, with a minimum of effort in even the smallest space. And why you should.

4. Civility. A quality that seems more and more rare, these days. You don’t have to like someone to be civil to him/her. Hell, you don’t even have to know the person. Why is it so difficult to be polite? To give an elderly or handicapped person your seat on the bus or train? To have a difference of opinion that doesn’t descend into mud-slinging and/or violence? Civility suggests that you step outside yourself and actually see other people and acknowledge them. A little mutual respect. The Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. So many seem to have stopped at the “Do unto others” part.

5. Curiosity. Without curiosity, we’d never leave our caves. If the explorers and scientists of history hadn’t been the least little bit curious, none of us would be where we are today. We’d have no aspirin, penicillin, or electricity. We wouldn’t be celebrating the 40th anniversary of man walking on the moon. Or marveling at pictures of Saturn’s rings and Jupiter’s moons and the discovery of ice on Mars. There would be no televisions to watch or blogs to write and send over bazillions of invisible little particles in the air to entertain ourselves while we huddle in those caves.

6. Resilient. It’s what we are. No matter what pains or loss we suffer – individually, or as a species – eventually, we recover. We go on. Like L’il Abner’s Shmoo, or the Bumble in “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer”, we bounce.

7. Imagination. Most of the time, it goes hand-in-hand with Curiosity. Art, music, literature, science. The creative impulse. Children have it, naturally. Often, it gets beaten out of us as we grow up and are forced to face “reality” (one of my least favorite words). Imagination knows no boundaries, provokes us, and urges us forward with the open-ended question: “What if…?” The world would be a much darker and poorer place without it.

8. Logic. This might actually be my favorite word. In my perfect world, if people just stepped back and thought logically, without regard to religion, emotion, or fear, there would be no starving children, everyone would have access to health care, and we would all have respect for the Earth and all of its inhabitants. No discussion.

9. Kitchen. Most people’s favorite room in the house. Everyone always gravitates to the kitchen. Approached in the proper frame of mind, it’s the most creative room in the house. All sorts of individual ingredients combine – almost magically – into everything from Mac & Cheese to Chicken Kiev to Chocolate Chip Cookies. I learned more about art, math, chemistry, and physics in the kitchen, than I ever did in a classroom.

10. Dessert. I love dessert. In all its forms. Chocolate, cheesecake, creme brulee, pudding, cake, pie, cookies, ice cream, fruit… There doesn’t have to be a lot of it, just a little something sweet to round off the meal and finish things off. Just about every culture, that I can think of, shares the concept of dessert. There are very few other words that almost universally inspire happy thoughts.

As an aside, I’m also terribly fond of the French “il ny a pas de quois”. Or maybe it’s “qua”. Either way, I’m pretty sure I spelled it wrong. I can’t remember that far back. It’s a standard response to “thank you”. I know it’s not a single word, but leave it to the French to come up with a tongue-twistingly, super-polysyllabic way to say “no problem.” But once you’ve mastered it, it’s quite a lot of fun to say. Sort of like “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”.

So, what are your ten favorite words? Leave them here in the comments, or post them in your own blog and leave a link in the comments. I’m curious.