Thursday, March 22, 2012

On Werds.

I spelled it like that on purpose. I'm mixing up "words" and "nerds," since sometimes I consider myself a "nerd" about "words."


Do you ever feel a connection with a word? I'm not talking like "Oh my brother's name is Curtis, too!" I'm talking about passion for a word/some words that would describe who you are/what you do/who you've become/where you live.

For instance, I feel incredibly passionate about the following words, and anytime I hear them, I feel this overwhelming sense of love, pride, hope, and peace- especially if they're referencing something about my own life or someone I know's life.
  • Dancing
  • Advertising
  • Public Relations
  • Quinnipiac
  • New York
  • Boston
  • Dream
It may have something to do with the fact that I love the English language. Don't fight me on this, I know it's not a beautiful, "Romantic" language, but it's (obviously) familiar to me, and there are SO many words that I learn (thank you Words with Friends and Scramble with Friends) daily that I try to implement into my vocabulary. (But inevitably I forget and am reminded when someone uses the word "ilk" in a meeting, and I slump back into my seat and feel sad for my brain for not challenging it more.)

But, I think it also has to do with the fact that the words, themselves, are familiar to me. And to an extent: they define me and who I am.

For all my life, I've connected with the word "dancing." I'm assuming that if my mother had put me in gymnastics training instead of dance classes at age 3, I'd have no connection to the word dancing, and the active verb in the list above wouldn't be dancing, it'd be gymnastics. But, from ages 3-21 it was a priority. I'd go to school, then I'd go to dance class. As I got older, I'd go to school, then I'd stay at school and dance for my high school dance team, then I'd go to dance class after that. On the weekends, I'd have dance competitions and football games to dance in. In college, I was part of the dance team and I met my best friends through... you can guess: dancing. We had this activity in common, and it was more than just a sport to us: it was our every day passion.

Similarly: I've been in advertising for 5 years. I see the word spelled out and it gives me a sense of satisfaction, one that I can only describe as "Yeah- I'm a Mad Man, jealous? And no, I don't drink that much- but I want to." I'm happy with my chosen profession. I'm good at it, and it's a fun arena in which to work.

I think Public Relations is on there because that was my major in college. For 4 years, I was breathing those words to my parents, professors, friends, strangers- and it became synonymous with my college life- even though it plays 0 roles in my life today.

Quinnipiac is on there, but for a larger reason. A sense of pride overwhelms me when I see the name of my alma mater anywhere- but not because I lived there for 4 years (I mean, Connecticut isn't on this list,) but because I met great friends there, enjoyed amazing study abroad experiences through the school, met phenomenal professors, and laughed my way through 4 quick years, which, had I gone anywhere else, may not have happened.

I think Boston and New York are on there for obvious reasons: my past (probable future) and my present locations. Fortunately, for a non-sports-obsessed-person like me, I'm able to enjoy both cities and have enough room for both in my heart. (Phew!)

Dream is also on the list. I wasn't going to go in depth with this word, since it's so general that I'm sure alot of people feel the same way as I do about it. But, the more I think about it- the more I realize that I'm living my dream, and that's special to me. I'm living the life I had planned for myself. I'm in my 20s in New York City working in advertising. I've worked damn hard to get here, and now that I'm here, I have to work on more dreams for myself- ones that I'll make a reality.

So- there you have it. A list of some words that define me and who I am, and what I love.

Am I crazy to have a list of words that I see/hear and get all excited about? Do you have a similar list?


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