Yeeha! It's time to kick off my "other" site. This one is my personal site where I ponder the imponderables, question the unquestionable, and mention the unmentionables (especially considering that Hanes is rewarding bloggers for talking about their products). In this blog I will just share the thoughts that pop into my head from time to time--and trust me things are always popping in there! My kids' new favorite term now is "random", as in, "Wow Dad, that was random!" This randomness may make me hard to live with, trust me it does--and I should know, I'm with myself almost constantly. However, it also makes life interesting, and never dull. I'm interested in people, their attitudes, values, and behavior. I'm interested in humor and what makes people laugh. I'm interested in politics (and that's no laughing matter). I'm interested in language and our use of words. I'm interested in music, movies, and books. So what I'm saying is that on this blog there is no specific subject, anything is fair game (well, as long as it's G rated). I know some people have specific topics they address like mold formations in their home, or gastro-intestinal ailments of their family; that's fine for them, but not for me. My theme song is "Don't Fence Me In". So much for the much ado about nothing, on with our inaugural foray into blogdom.
In order to better facilitate our church's mission trips to the Dominican Republic I've once again promised myself that I would learn Spanish. I am getting back into the groove. I did take a semester of Spanish in high school (yes, they had Spanish back then--it's not an ancient language), and I did retain some key words from that academic endeavor--pero-dog, gato-cat, and mariposa-butterfly. These words are indispensable if you're visiting a veterinarian or the set of Animal Planet, otherwise, not so much. Anyway, as I was relearning the "o, as, a, amos, an, an" conjugation thing, I began thinking about how difficult it must be for those trying to learn English. Take the simple word UP for example. It must be hard for those learning our language to fully comprehend how this word can be used in so many contexts.
It's easy to understand up as it relates to the sky or the top of a list. However, at a meeting in the office why does a topic come UP? Why is it up to the secretary to write UP a report about that meeting? Why do we speak UP? When we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP?
Sometimes this little word has a big meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, think UP excuses, and make UP a story. To be dressed is one thing, to be dressed UP is special.
Sometimes UP presents a paradox. How is it that a drain that is stopped UP must be opened UP? Why is that we open UP a store in the morning yet close it UP at night? How can it be that UPtown and downtown are the same place? Why is it when we hurry UP, more lethargic individuals always want us to slow UP? Why do we break UP, but we also make UP?
"What's UP?" became the unofficial greeting of choice for the buster generation. Then, thanks to an inane beer commercial decades ago, the unfathomable, guttural "wassUP?" became the most overused non-word in human history. Finally, I guess because the traditional "what's UP" greeting required too much effort, the mosaic generation coined the currently popular 'sUP?
We lock UP the house, polish UP the silver, Brighten UP a room, call up our friends, warm UP the leftovers, and clean UP the kitchen.
I could go on and on. I know--you're saying, please Mike, do go on and on. But alas my time is done. But you can go on and on yourself. I've merely touched the tip of the iceberg--if you are UP to it, come UP with a list of the many ways UP is used. It won't take UP much of your time, and if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. Well, my time is UP, so I'm gonna wrap it UP. Hey, what's UP next? Guess you'll have to check it out later, or not, it's UP to you! Until next time...
P.S. Thanks for not asking me to shut UP!
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