by Noella Noelophile®
“I’ll be listening for groups of words that make me smile.”
One longtime member of our Toastmasters club made that statement, just this week.
He was explaining his role as Grammarian of our club. But the comment was enough to start me thinking.
Normally, for Halloween, I write posts about how quickly Christmas is approaching. Or the fact that Halloween is a special personal anniversary of an amazing, life-changing decision for which I’m thankful, every day.
But–not this year.
2020 has been surreal. Life changed both rapidly and radically, with the pandemic. A sense of “it can’t happen here” was replaced by shocking headlines and by isolation, remote connection and looking back at the way life “used to be”. And the strangest part is, how life “used to be” was only nine months ago.
Royalty-free image by by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Now seems like a great time to talk about words that make us smile.
What words do the people you love use, to tell you you’re important in their lives? What particularly memorable passages from your favorite books, have become a part of you? What encouraging comments have you heard that kept you going forward?
Personally, this year, I’ve been taking an online course that proved very challenging. After struggling with an assignment and admitting I didn’t get it, I asked the professor for a Zoom call. He talked me through the procedure: “You’re very close. You’ve almost got it,” he commented.
Prior to our conversation, I’d been wondering if dropping the class would be a thought. After that comment, no one could pay me to do so!
And what have you said or written, lately, that’s smile-bringing? Against the background of some harsh realities and major upheaval, what we have is one another.
One thing this pandemic seems to be emphasizing, is the power of hope, and creativity. We’re seeing groups learn to connect via Zoom, performances like this one from the Rotterdam Philharmonic with each isolated member in harmony, and windows with encouraging messages of thanks to our first responders.
Words are the ultimate power. With words, we can evoke anything. A wind-swept beach. A desolate, abandoned castle at midnight. A city street ablaze with lights and bustling traffic.
As we all move forward together, what are the groups of words that make you smile?