A Work Progressing

Well, somebody in China reads this blog. Probably a robot looking for state secrets. I am impressed with the international reach, the list of countries with at least one reader goes on and on, finally ending with “Unknown area”, where is that?

Of course, this isn’t tracking “eyeball time”. I suppose there is some metric that does that but I don’t know where it is accessed. This year is expected to be the largest in hits, with “White Witch” stories leading the pack. Haha!

I guess I need to write more about witches.

I have a question for you. Would you like to see more miracles? Or perhaps even, for some, experience a miracle for the first time?

I have a “method” that I would like to share, but I’m not a Methodist.

About fifteen years ago I was thinking about how our thoughts are defined by the words we use. It came about because someone had experienced something, and they were struck “speechless”, or “at a loss of words”.

The concept intrigued me. You’ve heard that phrase? How often had I been struck “speechless”? Hmm, that was generally not the problem, the problem was that I usually had too many words.

Thinking about it, if I were experiencing something that struck me “speechless” might be in the same category as “miracles”. At least it’s possible. I have often heard that miracles strike people “speechless”. The thought occurred to me that I might have even seen minor “miracles”, but not recognized them, or maybe I gave them a different label.

A little more pondering led me to the word “coincidence”. Invariably, when I used this word, it came as a filler, instead of being “speechless”. If the event or object seemed impossible to predict, I could always label it… “a coincidence”

Let’s look at one example. It’s 3,000 years ago, you look up at dawn, and you see two round objects that move across the sky. One orb seems to rule the day, and one orb rules the night. What are they, and why are they?

Different cultures made different stories explaining their purpose. It was fairly recent to understand that the “moon” did not generate light, but merely reflected light from the sun. We had to develop some science in order to figure that out.

It wasn’t a waste of time for the other explanations. We learned to tell stories, our brains experimented with imagination. At the very least it increased our curiosity about the world.

But one thing was never doubted. The two orbs were approximately the same size! What ever the storyline, when the eclipse came, not only did they appear to be the same size, it was proven they were the same size.

In the real world there are children, they are not the same size as an adult. When they stand behind an adult you can’t see them. Wooly mammoths are larger than men. Rocks can be small, boulders can be large, but seeing next to each other is believing. The sun is the same size as the moon. Period.

Then that science makes itself a pest, and says the the sun is 400 times the size of the moon. What? How can that be? Look up at the sky! Has the world gone mad?

Well, science solves that problem by stating that the sun is also 400 times the distance, of the distance, from the earth to the moon. So… from the surface of earth, the moon and the sun appear to us to be the same size. It’s just a “coincidence”.

I have an astronomer friend. There are lots of planets with moons, several moons in fact, on none of the other planets does their moon appear to be the same size as the sun. In fact, the odds are that it doesn’t appear anywhere in the known universe.

So why? Why does it appear that way to us?

So it occurred to me that if I removed “coincidence” from my vocabulary that I would be temporarily “struck speechless”, then my inner nature would consider that this was a result of a “plan”. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my plan, I’m very sure that the sun and the moon didn’t come to an agreement, so… whose plan was it?

If this size trick was a plan, what was the purpose? I don’t know, perhaps to encourage our imagination, maybe to test our “free will”, or maybe to spur our curiosity.

I suppose there is a danger… that I could fall into the trap that the earth is sitting on a large turtle as it is swimming through space, and maybe my ancestors did that. But I know that I don’t what to take the position that everything is explained by science and “coincidence”.

Don’t get me wrong, I love science. It provides facts, and logic, and often does a good job with the superficial “why?” of things. It doesn’t leave room for miracles.

Another example…Just today, in driving here, I turned the corner where I saw dozens of poppies exploding in bloom. I noticed the flowers, I was attracted to the color.

Science tells me that in order for the flowers to flourish they must be pollinated, bees and other insects, must be attracted by the color and the scent of their nectar. According to science the fact that the bees carry out the pollination is “coincidence”. Whoops, there is that word.

And what about me? I’m not pollinating or sniffing nectar. Why am I noticing the flowers? Surely not “coincidence”. But maybe, just maybe, I’m just appreciating the “miracle” of creation? Why else am I built to notice?

I still have some work to do with removing “random chance”, “luck and lucky”. But I’m getting there. I’m preparing myself to accept the possibility. And while I haven’t experience miracles with a capital M, I have noticed a substantial increase minor miracles. Removing the labels that block future thoughts, prepares the ground.

That does not mean that I don’t have standards. I just believe there are plans, not happenstance. I believe there are plans for good, and plans for bad. I believe in agencies that make the plans. I believe I have free will in regards to choices. I also believe that miracles are events that can’t be explained by logic. In some churches miracles are everywhere and everyday. I think maybe that waters down the experience. I don’t proscribe to that.

What I do know is that language can steal concepts from us, and in some ways it dismisses reality, by pretending to explain it. But maybe that’s just a coincidence.

By the way, there are more words and phrases that can be removed with surprising results. I suggest to get rid of “at the end of the day.” And “in this day and age”. They are useless fillers, making up empty excuses.

I’ll end with Joshua, “Choose you this day, whom will you serve?” Amen.

These words are endangered. They are one step away from being “obsolete”. Once that happens they will disappear. Please look them over and if they are useful… use them. I wouldn’t want “Egad” to go away.

1. Abaft—toward or at the stern of a ship; further aft

2. Abroad—out of doors

3. Accouchement—birthing

4. Advertisement—a notice to readers in a book

5. Afeard/afearedt—frightened

6. Affright—frighten (someone)

7. Afore—before

8. Agone—ago

9. Ague—malaria or a similar illness

10. Alack—expression of sorrow or regret

11. Alee—on or toward the lee

12. Aliment—food; nourishment

13. Alow—below

14. Amain—to a high degree; exceedingly; at full speed

15. Ambuscade—an ambush

16. Anent—about; concerning

17. Animalcule—a microscopic animal

18. Anon—at once; immediately

20. Appetency—a longing or desire

21. Apricity—a cold winter day with a warm sun

22. Aright—right; correctly

23. Aroint—begone

24. Assay—attempt

25. Asunder—apart

26. Athwart—across; in opposition to; sideways; transversely

27. Audition—the power of hearing

28. Aught—anything at all

29. Avaunt—away; hence

30. Aye—yes

31. Bane—poison

32. Baseborn—of low birth or social standing

33. Bedlam—an asylum

34. Beef-witted—stupid

35. Beforetime—formerly

36. Behold—see or observe

37. Behoof—benefit or advantage

38. Beldam—an old woman

39. Belike—most likely; probably

40. Bethink—oneself of remember; recollect

41. Betimes—in short time; speedily

42. Betwixt—between

44. Bijoux—jewelry; trinkets

45. Billow—a large sea wave

46. Blackguard—a scoundrel

47. Blow—produce flowers or be in flower

48. Bodkin—a dagger

49. Bootless—(of a task) ineffectual; useless

50. Brabble—loud dumb argument

51. Breech—a person’s buttocks

52. Bridewell—a prison or reform school for petty offenders

53. Brimstone—sulphur

54. Bruit—a report or rumour

55. Buck—a fashionable and daring young man

56. Bumper—a generous glass of an alcoholic drink

57. Burgess—a full citizen of a town or borough

58. Buss—a kiss

59. Caboose—a kitchen on a ship’s deck

60. Cadet—a younger son or daughter

61. Caducity—the infirmity of old age; senility

62. California widow—a woman who marries a man who goes off to work in other parts of the state for long periods

63. Callipygian—giant ass

64. Cameleopard—a giraffe

65. Cannonade—bombard

66. Carl—a man of low birth

67. Ceil—line or plaster the roof of (a building)

68. Certes—in truth; certainly

69. Champaign—open level countryside

70. Chapman—a peddler

71. Chicane—deceive; hoodwink

72. Cicisbeov—a married woman’s male companion or lover

73. Circumjacent—surrounding

74. Cispontine—on the north side of the Thames in London

75. Clepe—to name; to call

76. Clerk—a literate or scholarly person

77. Clew—a ball of thread

78. Clout—a piece of cloth or clothing

79. Cockalorum—a little man who has a big attitude

80. Collogue—talk confidentially

81. Communicant—a person who imparts information

82. Compass—encircle or surround

83. Compeer—a companion or close associate

84. Contemn—treat or regard with contempt

85. Contumely—insolent or insulting language or treatment

86. Cordwainer—a shoemaker

87. Cottier—a rural laborer living in a cottage

88. Coxcomb—a vain and conceited man; a dandy

89. Coz—cousin

90. Crapulous—to feel ill from

91. Crinkum—elaborate decoration or detail

92. Crookback—a person with a hunchback

93. Crumpet—a person’s head

94. Cruse—an earthenware pot or jar

95. Cully—a friendly form of address for a man

96. Curmuring—making stomach sounds

97. Cutpurse—a pickpocket

98. Dame—an elderly or mature woman

99. Damsel—a young unmarried woman

100. Dandiprat—a young or insignificant person

101. Darbies—handcuffs

102. Degrade—reduce to a lower rank, especially as a punishment

103. Degree—social or official rank

104. Delate—report (an offence)

105. Demesne—a region or domain

106. Demit—resign from (an office or position)

107. Demoralize—corrupt the morals of

108. Dight—clothed or equipped

109. Discover—divulge (a secret)

110. Disport—frolic

111. Dispraise—censure or criticize

112. Divers—of varying types; several

113. Doit—a very small amount of money

114. Dot—a dowry from which only the interest or annual income was available to the husband

115. Doxy—a lover or mistress

116. Drab—a slovenly woman

117. Drought—thirst

118. Eft—again; afterwards

119. Eftsoons—soon after

120. Egad—exclamation of surprise, anger, or affirmation

121. Eke—in addition; also; likewise

122. Embouchure—the mouth of a river

123. Endlong—lengthwise

124. Enow—enough

125. Equipage—gear; equipment

126. Ere—before (in time)

127. Erelong—before long; soon

128. Erewhile—until now

129. Espousal—a marriage or engagement

130. Esurient—hungry

131. Excogigate—plot, plan, devise

132. Expectations—one’s prospects of inheritance

133. Expiry—death

134. Eyne—eyes

135. Fain—pleased or willing under the circumstances

136. Fainéant—an idle or ineffective person

137. Fair—beautiful

138. Fandangle—a useless or purely ornamental thing

139. Fane—a shrine or temple

140. Fare—travel

141. Fell—an animal skin; a pelt

142. Feminal—feminine; womanly

143. Fervent—hot or glowing

144. Fie—exclamation used to express disgust or outrage

145. Filibeg—a kilt

146. Fishwife—a woman who sells fish

147. Fizgig—a silly or flirtatious young woman

148. Flux—diarrhea or dysentery

149. Forby—past; near

150. Fore—at an earlier time or period

151. Forfend—avert or prevent (something evil or unpleasant)

152. Forsooth—in truth; indeed

153. Forthwith—immediately

154. Forward—(of a person) difficult to deal with; contrary

155. Fourscore—eighty

156. Freak—a whim

157. Frore—frozen or frosty

158. Fruit—offspring

159. Fudge—nonsense

160. Furbish—polish (a weapon)

161. Fuzzle—drunk

162. Gadzooks—an expression of surprise or annoyance

163. Gage—a valued object deposited as a guarantee

164. Gallant—a dashing gentleman

165. Gammer—an old woman

166. Gar—mild oath

167. Gardyloo—warning cry

168. Garland—a literary anthology

169. Garth—a yard or garden

170. Gaud—a trinket

171. Glabriety—baldness

172. Glaciate—freeze over

173. Glebe—a meadow

174. Glim—a candle

175. God’s acre—a churchyard

176. Goodly—attractive, excellent, or virtuous

177. Goody—(with a name) an elderly woman of humble position

178. Gorgonize—to charm

179. Gramercy—expression of gratitude or surprise

180. Grateful—received with gratitude

181. Greenwood—a forest

182. Grimalkin—a cat

183. Groak—to watch someone as they eat

184. Gudgeon—a credulous person

185. Guerdon—a reward

186. Gyve—a fetter or shackle

187. Habiliment—clothing

188. Halt—lame

189. Handmaid—a female servant

190. Hearken—listen

191. Hence—from here

192. Herbary—a herb garden

193. Hereat—as a result of this

194. Heretofore—until now

195. Hereunto—to this document

196. Hereupon—after or as a result of this

197. Heyday—expression of elation or wonder

198. Hie—go quickly

199. Hight—named; called; to command or call

200. Hist—expression used to attract attention

201. Hither—to or toward this place

202. Hoar—frost

203. Horse-coper—a person who deals in horses

204. Horseless carriage—a car

205. Host—an army

206. Houppelande—cloak

207. Howbeit—nevertheless

208. Husbandman—a farmer

209. Ifsoever—if ever

210. Ilke—kind or nature

211. Immedicable—untreatable

212. Imminent—overhanging

213. In sooth—actually

214. Indite—write; compose

215. Inly—inwardly; thoroughly

216. Inscribe—enter the name of (someone) on a list

217. Intelligence—news

218. Intelligencer—a person who gathers intelligence

219. Invest—surround (a place) in order to besiege or blockade it

220. Iron horse—a steam locomotive

221. Iwis—surely; certainly

222. Izzard—the letter Z

223. Jade—a bad-tempered or disreputable woman

224. Jakes—an outdoor toilet

225. Job—turn a public office or a position of trust to private advantage

226. Kickshaw—a fancy but insubstantial cooked dish

227. Kirtle—a woman’s gown or a man’s tunic

228. Knave—a dishonest or unscrupulous man

229. Lackaday—expression of regret or deprecation

230. Larcener—thief

231. Latchet—a narrow thong or lace for fastening a shoe or sandal

232. Laud—praise

233. Laver—a basin or similar container used for washing oneself

234. Leech—a doctor or healer

235. Leman—a lover or sweetheart

236. Let—hinder

237. Lethophobia—do you fear oblivion at all? You may well be lethophobic!

238. Levant—abscond leaving unpaid debts

239. Levy—a body of enlisted troops

240. Lief—soon; gladly

241. Loathly—repulsive

242. Lordling—a minor lord

243. Love apple—a tomato

244. Lucifer—a match

245. Lurdan—an idle or incompetent person

246. Lying—in seclusion before and after childbirth

247. Magdalen—a reformed prostitute

248. Mage—a magician or learned person

249. Magnify—glorify; extol

250. Maid—a girl or young woman

251. Malapert—presumptuous and impudent

252. Malison—a curse

253. Man-at-arms—a soldier

254. Marry—an expression of surprise, indignation, or emphatic assertion

255. Maugre—in spite of

256. Mayhap—perhaps; possibly

257. Mazed—bewildered

258. Measure—a dance

259. Meat—food of any kind

260. Mechanical—a manual worker

261. Meet—suitable or proper

262. Melodist—a singer

263. Meseems—it seems to me

264. Methinks—I believe; I think

265. Moil—drudgery

266. Monsterful—extraordinary or wonderful

268. Morrow—the the following day

269. Mummer—an actor in the theater

270. Nary—not a one; not at all

271. Natheless—nevertheless; notwithstanding

272. Natural—a person born with impaired intelligence

273. Naught—nothing

274. Nay—no

275. Needs—of necessity; necessarily

276. Nigh—nearly; almost

277. Nithing—a contemptible or despicable person

278. Noise—(something) about talk about or make known publicly

279. Nowise—not at all

280. Nubbing—cheat a gallows

281. Numbles—a deer’s entrails as food

282. Od—mild oath

283. Orison—a prayer

284. Orts—scraps; remains

285. Otherwhere—elsewhere

286. Otiose—lazy; slothful

287. Overbrim—spill; overflow

288. Overleap—jump over or across

289. Overset—capsize; flip over

290. Pale—an area within determined bounds or subject to a particular jurisdiction

291. Palfrey—a docile riding horse

292. Parcel—partly 

293. Pardie—mild oath; certainly or truly

294. Parfay—by my faith; verily

295. Pate—a person’s head

296. Paynim—a pagan

298. Peeler—a police officer

299. Pelf—money, especially when gained dishonestly

300. Peradventure—perhaps; possibly; by adventure; by chance

301. Perchance—by some chance

302. Peregrinate—travel or wander from place to place

303. Periapt—a charm or amulet

304. Pestilence—a fatal epidemic disease, especially bubonic plague

305. Peterman—a thief or safecracker

306. Physic—medicinal drugs or medical treatment

307. Picaroon—a scoundrel

308. Piepowder—a traveler or trader

309. Pismire—an ant

310. Pistoleer—a soldier armed with a pistol

311. Plain over—lament; cry over

312. Plight—solemnly pledge or promise (faith or loyalty)

313. Pollard—an animal that has lost its horns or cast its antlers

314. Poltroon—an utter coward

315. Popinjay—a parrot

316. Pore on—think about

317. Portage—the action of carrying or transporting

318. Portion—a dowry

319. Posy—a short motto or line of verse inscribed inside a ring

320. Potation—a beverage

321. Pouncet-box—a small box with a perforated lid used for holding a substance impregnated with perfume

322. Prithee—expression of wish or request

323. Profess—teach (a subject) as a professor

324. Puissant—powerful; mighty

325. Purblind—short-sighted

326. Purfle—an ornamental or embroidered edge of a garment

327. Pythoness—a woman believed to be possessed by a spirit and to be able to foresee the future

328. Quaggy—marshy or boggy

329. Quality—high social standing

330. Quean—an impudent girl or woman

331. Quick, the—the living

332. Quidnunc—an inquisitive, gossipy person

333. Quiz—look intently at (someone)

334. Quockerwodger—marionette

335. Quoth—said (in I/he/she quoth)

336. Quotha—expression of surprise or contempt

337. Rack (of a cloud)—be driven by the wind

338. Raiment—clothing

339. Rapscallion—a mischievous person

340. Rathe-ripe—(of fruit) ripening early in the year; (of a person) precocious

341. Reave—carry out a plundering raid

342. Receipt—a recipe

343. Recipe—a medical prescription

344. Recompense—punish or reward appropriately

345. Recreant—cowardly

346. Rede—advice or counsel

347. Reduce—besiege and capture (a town or fortress)

348. Relieve—make (something) stand out

349. Remit—diminish

350. Repair—an abode or haunt

351. Repulsive—lacking friendliness or sympathy

352. Riband—a ribbon

353. Rover—a pirate

354. Ruth—a feeling of pity, distress, or grief

355. Sable—black mourning clothes

356. Sacring—the consecration of a bishop, a sovereign, or the Eucharistic elements

357. Saddle-bow—the pommel of a saddle

358. Salamander—a red-hot iron or poker

359. Sanative—healing

360. Sanguinary—involving or causing much bloodshed

361. Sap—make (a building, etc.) insecure by removing its foundations

362. Saturnism—lead poisoning

363. Scantling—a specimen, sample, or small amount

364. Scapegrace—a mischievous person; a rascal 

366. Sciolist—a person who pretends to be knowledgeable

367. Scold—a woman who nags or grumbles constantly

368. Scot—a tax-like payment

369. Scrag—a neck

370. Scruple—a very small amount of something, especially a quality

371. Scullion—a menial servant

372. Scurvy—worthless or contemptible

373. Sea coal—mineral coal

374. Sea smoke—fog

375. Seizing—a length of cord or rope on board a ship

376. Semovedly—separately

377. Sennight—a week

378. Sepulture—burial

379. Shambles—a slaughterhouse

380. Shrift—forgiveness

381. Shrive—(of a priest) absolve (a person making a confession)

382. Siege—seat or throne

383. Silly—helpless; defenceless

384. Sippet—a small piece of bread or toast for dipping into soup or sauce

385. Sith—since

386. Skirt—an edge, border, or extreme part

387. Slipshod—(of shoes) worn down at the heel

388. Sluberdegullion—slacker; couch potato

389. Slugabed—a lazy person who stays in bed late

390. Small beer—weak beer

391. Smite—defeat or conquer

392. Smoothly—in truth; truly

393. Snoutfair—a good-looking person

394. Snowbrowth—freshly melted snow

395. Soak—drink heavily

396. Somedeal—somewhat

397. Somewhither—to some place; somewhere

398. Sooth—truth; reality; in truth

399. Soothfast—truthful; honest; faithful

400. Sore—extremely; severely

401. Speed—prosperity; success

402. Spence—a pantry or larder

403. Statuary—a sculptor

404. Steed— a horse

405. Stoup—a container for drinking beer, etc.; a flagon

406. Strait—strict; rigorous; constricted

407. Stripe—a blow with a lash

408. Strumpet—a female prostitute or a promiscuous woman

409. Success—a good or bad outcome

410. Suffer—endure; tolerate

411. Swain—a country youth

412. Swash—flamboyantly swagger about or wield a sword

413. Sweeting—darling

414. Sweetmeat—an item of confectionery or sweet food

415. Sweven—vision seen in sleep; a dream

416. Swink—to toil; to labour

417. Swith—instantly; quickly

418. Swoopstake—in an indiscriminate manner

419. Taiga—a forest

420. Tantivy—a rapid gallop or ride

421. Tapster—a person who serves at a bar

422. Tenter—a person in charge of something, especially factory machinery

423. Thenceforth—from that time, place, or point onward

424. Thereinto—into that or it

425. Thereon—thereupon

426. Thereunto—to that

427. Therewith—thereupon; forthwith

428. Therewithal—besides

429. Thither—to or toward that place

430. Thole—to endure; to suffer

431. Thrice—three times

432. Thro—through

433. Tilt—with engage in a contest with

434. Timbrel—a tambourine or similar instrument

435. Tithe—a tenth

436. Tocsin—an alarm bell or signal

437. Tope—drink to excess

438. Tother—the other

439. Trig—neat and smart

440. Troth—faith or loyalty when pledged in a solemn undertaking

441. Turnkey—a jailer

442. Twain—two

443. Twattle—to gossip

444. Tweeny—a maid who assisted both the cook and the housemaid

445. Twelvemonth—a year

446. Twitter-light—twilight

447. Twixt—between

448. Up to snuff—up to the required standard

449. Usward—toward us

450. Vale—a farewell; a sendoff

451. Varlet—an unprincipled rogue

452. Venery—hunting

453. Verily—truly; certainly; confidently

454. Virtue—virginity

455. Visionary—existing only in the imagination

456. Wain— a wagon or cart

457. Wait on/upon—pay a respectful visit to

458. Waits—street singers of Christmas carols

459. Wanion—ill luck; misfortune

460. Ware—of aware of

461. Wassail—revelry

462. Wast—second person singular past of be

463. Watchful—wakeful

464. Weasand—the esophagus or gullet

465. Weed—garment or outfit worn during mourning

466. Ween—think or suppose; be of the opinion

467. Wellaway—expression of sorrow or lamentation; alas

468. Wench—a girl or young woman

469. Whenas—when

470. Whence—from what place or source

471. Whereagainst—against which

472. Wherefore—for what reason

473. Whereinsoever—in whatsoever respect or place

474. Whereinto—into which; into what

475. Whereof—of what

476. Whereout—out of which

477. Wherethrough—through which; through the agency of

478. Whereuntil—to what

479. Wherewith—with or by which

480. Whichsoever—every one that

481. Whilom—formerly; once; former

482. White—goods domestic linen

483. Whither—to what place or state

484. Whithersoever—to any place whatsoever

485. Whitherward—toward what or which place

486. Whosoever—every one who

487. Wife—a woman, especially an old or uneducated one

488. Wight—a person of a specified kind

489. With squirrel—pregnant

490. Withal—besides; therewith; nevertheless; with

491. Wonder-wench—sweetheart

492. Wont—accustomed

493. Wood mad—insane; wild

494. Wright—a maker or builder

495. Yare—marked by quickness and agility; nimble; prepared; easily handled

496. Ye—you

497. Yoicks—expression of surprise or excitement

498. Yoke—the amount of land that one pair of oxen could plough in a day

499. Yon—yonder; that over there; those over there

500. Zounds—an expression of surprise or indignation

Collected by Jerome London

 

Obviously, a huge thank you for those who took the time to acknowledge this for me. What’s wrong with the rest of you that just scrolled on?

Okay, at 74 I’m a bit crabbier than 73. I do feel an obligation to pass on some of my collected wisdom…

Ummm…

Ummm, lessee…

1. Oatmeal is pretty good with walnuts and oat milk?

2. I’ve successfully removed “coincidence” from my vocabulary, I’m working on “luck” and “chance”.

3. I’m okay with taking “one step” at a time.

4. I don’t “rage, rage, rage against the dying of the light”, but I kvetch about it.

5. It’s all a gift, but not necessarily wrapped with a bow.

6. I used to say “Keep moving”, but we are all spinning, orbiting, and moving away from the center of the universe. Most of our phrases are pointless.

7. Lao Tzu paraphrased, “those who speak do not know, those who know do not speak”. What’s up Lao Tzu?

8. Try to use the word “ouraborus” regularly.

9. In addition, try to use archaic words, so they don’t disappear.

10. Lastly, not one of my last one hundred thousand great grandparents died as a child. Not by floods, accidents, wild animals, or even neglect. Amazing! Same for you!

Good grief, it’s been a few years since I was in a library. They still have books, and the Dewey Decimal system. I overhear the librarian giving a tour, something is wrong with Mr. Dewey, but they still use his system. I am curious, I will have to Google the issue.

Sitting there, waiting for grandchildren to find books, I flash through what I know about libraries.

I know the first libraries didn’t have shelves, they had wine rack tilted boxes. It was easier to place scrolls in them. Not sure how many scrolls per box. I seem to recall the scrolls were sorted by subjects that sound alike. Also, the scrolls were tied by strips of linen or leather, with the author and subject written on them. Still, this made searching very difficult, and no real index to let you know where on the scroll specific information was written.

I member something about a classical education included reading, writing, and arithmetic… but also memorization. You were to imagine going into your memory through doors into a room, turn right to see, wine racks with scrolls with the data to memorize, then continue to fill the walls of the entire room.

Then I remember the loss of great libraries, like Alexandria, or Pompei. Something about hanging the burnt scrolls with small weights to the edge, and letting gravity slowly unrolling the scroll over months.

Of course the big invention of the Greeks and Romans to made codices. Folded sheets of parchment, written on both sides, then signatures sewn together to make a spine. The “book” could then be on shelves, with information written on the outer spine. What joy!

And inside you could have a table of contents, with page numbers, and at the end you could have an index. If only they would have spaces between the words, or simple punctuation. Son of a gun, they started having that too!

Eventually, during the Middle Ages, one of the largest libraries was owned by the Jean de France, duc de Berry, the King’s brother. He had slightly over 200 books! He had one copy of everything available, and in order to have more, he purchased the Limbourg Brothers to make more books. Everything worked well for about a year, everybody living in the same castle until the Plague came and killed all four of them.

200 books! I might have that in the back of my car! Oh yes, Melvil Dewey was a racist bigot who harassed women. He died in 1931 and his library medal was renamed in 2020!

I was also surprised to find a nice piece of sculpture on display made by my friend, Susannah Israel. Then turning a corner there was a display of Nancy Rubin’s Humans of Berkeley, photos of men with their kids/grandkids. And there was Semaje and I taken ten years ago.

It was a good day at the library!

Today, in 1944, my sister died from complications of Scarlet Fever. Before penicillin this was often a killing disease, but many did survive with medical care. Unfortunately, this didn’t take place because of poverty, and some religious influence.

It’s a curious thing to know that you had a sibling that was never there, and because of pain/guilt very rarely spoken about. She was three days shy of being eight years old, not a mature person, but a normal preteen little girl.

My older brother Bob knew her well, and loved her beyond measure. He was twelve years old when she died. And now he has died. There is no more a living connection. We barely keep alive the memories of our important great grandfathers. What are the chances of an eight year old little girl?

She was my sister, she was the aunt of my children. I will always speak her name, and ponder what things might have been. Rest in peace Gayle Ondra Diestler.

I have a fun suggestion. Try removing just one word from your speech or thoughts for one month. If the word comes up, as it will naturally do, dismiss it quickly, as if it never happened. The word is banished to a verbal purgatory, along with swear words in front of your mother. The word is… “coincidence”

Let’s say that you make the decision to do this, then you plan a trip to the dentist. On the BART train you notice a man dressed in black, shaved head, and a bar-code tattooed on the back of his neck. Later, after a successful teeth cleaning you head through the lobby, and you notice a bald man, dressed in black, with a bar-code tattoo on the back of his neck.

Normally you might say this is a coincidence, but you can’t say this because for at least a month the word doesn’t exist for you.

Then you decide to jump on and off BART several times, catch bus transfer, walk through the busiest shopping center, before paying cash at the nearest motel. And you are still alive in the morning.

I have removed the word “coincidence” for the last ten years. I have found new meanings to the things I see and hear, spending a lot of time analyzing the “agencies” behind the events.

Just now while driving home, I noticed dozens of yellow daisies growing on the corner lot. I looked at them only in passing, but I noticed them. I’m not a nectar seeking insect, also, I do not collect pollen. But the agency of the flower had created an explosion of color that caught my attention.

For millennia, when the early humans looked up, they witnessed two lights in the sky, one that ruled the day, and one that ruled the night. Stories were made up about these objects, some of the facts were confused. They appear to us to be the same size, and it took thousands of years to learn that the night orb was not generating light, but merely reflecting light from the sun.

In textbooks they often say it’s an amazing coincidence that the moon and the sun were almost the exact size from our perspective. It took years for us to accept the fact that the sun is slightly over 400 times the size of the moon.

For us, the occasional eclipse proves that they are essentially the same size. In a thousand years it might be slightly different, but in this early science years it was said to be a coincidence. What agency determined this?

As far as we know, planets don’t decide to make a moon the exact size of the sun as seen from the surface. So what agency is responsible? How often does this random relationship occur in infinite galaxies?

If this is by design, what are we expected to learn by the viewed relationship?

Perhaps the intention all along was to encourage questioning, noticing things and then trying to find the purpose, instead of labeling it “coincidence

I went to my brother’s funeral service this weekend. It was a time of remembrance, and a time of the spoken word. They are not always the same story. It was a time of healing of old wounds, and a time to pick at the scars or scabs, it was a time of reflection of the person, and a time to reflect on others, and words not said, actions not taken.

It was a time for Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, or maybe listen to the Byrds, “Turn, Turn, Turn”.

Mostly it was an ending. We are left with our memories, some resolved, and pleasant. Some unresolved, with hurt and frustration mixed up with grief. So it is with families everywhere.

There is a skill set known as “dealing with cognitive dissonance”. It may not be a useful skill set. In some ways it gets you through the day, through the immediate conflict. But like a cheap bandaid, it falls away in time, exposing the wound created. We are a bag of skin, with broken sharp objects inside.

The purpose of life for some Jewish scholars, is to “repair the world”. Because it is rent and torn in so many ways, and on so many levels. It is worth the time, while alive, to ponder the damage done in our lives. To take responsibility, and to give grace. Both sides of the coin held by those still alive.

And then there will be an ending, and an accounting… possibly with words unsaid, and actions not taken.

I taught graphic design for many years, and I always mentioned the two projects that professional designers dreamed about. The first would be designing a typeface that becomes popular. This is not only financially rewarding, but it is amazing to see the impact on the world.

Typography is now a lost art, primarily through the glut of available typefaces. When fonts were formed in lead with matrix molds, the choices were less. When fonts were designed in postscript, the choices were almost endless.

I was sucked into that designers dream when the first typographic app came out. A designer could load the font into each character, and at the end you could upload the font to your computer and type with it. Of course it was much more than upper and lower case alphabet stuff. It was special characters, punctuation, numbers, super script, etc.

I only got the upper and lower case finished. What I did was upload my favorite five fonts, convert them into postscript outlines, then I averaged them all together to create a blend.

The final project was unique to my selections and had many of the qualities that I admired. I typed a few sentences, then forgot about going further.

The second dream of designers is to make a lasting logo. A logo for the ages that becomes representational, a short cut of identity. Fortunately, I not only taught graphic design, but I was the institutional designer for the college.

I’m not certain that I was asked to make a logo. I was just aware that a design had not been decided, because I saw that there were several different ways that the college presented itself in print.

There was a letterhead that spelled out the college name in Copperplate, a popular typeface in the late 1800s. This typeface did not have lowercase letters, it just used smaller capital letters instead. It was remarkable because it had very small, sharp serifs… almost like thorns, on a mostly standard sans serif body style.

This worked well with the college name because there was the letter “g” that had a descender sticking down below the base line. In Copperplate there were no ascenders or descenders.

Then someone tried using just the four first letters to make a textual logo. I mention four because the official name was “Contra Costa Community College”.

The end result was that it looked like four horse shoe prints, or a long broken chain. It was better to drop the “community”. Three “C”s was enough.

I worked on three different designs. The first was different ways to present three “C”s, some based on type, some based on art. One that appeared interesting was three curved, swooping shapes. This was before Nike’s logo. It was promising.

The next idea was based on a Japanese style circular “chop”. I once saw a rendition of Mt. Fuji surrounded by a circular band. When I was walking the college upper road, I could see Mt. Tamalpais and the bay quite clearly.

I did a quick sketch of Mt. Tam with the bay below, and I made three choppy “C”s in the bay water. Like waves. Then, I placed a circular ring around it all, broken only by the water.

The third idea was slightly improving the old Copperplate idea.

I placed all three projects in a folder and present them to the President of the college. I wasn’t sure he had the authority, considering there was the chancellor of the district. He liked the “swoop” logo, but said he would take the projects to a district meeting. He came back with the Mt. Tam “chop” idea. Although he thought it was Mt. Diablo.

I almost said that we can’t see Mt. Diablo from our campus, but then I realized that the district office can’t see Mt. Tamalpais. I said nothing. I changed the mountain slightly.

The round logo lasted seven or eight years, from 1977 to 1985. In 1984 the college hired a new president, and as some presidents do, changes were made. In 1985 I was asked to “improve” the logo.

I replaced the circular band with a horizontal double oval. I also removed one line of the waves in the bay, and changed the “choppy” three “C”s with a more typographic look. I used a typeface with a slightly round serif similar to CocaCola’s typeface. Lastly, I was asked to make the mountain more similar to Mt. Diablo. I never said that it was Mt. Tam. I changed the mountain again.

For the last thirty-eight years it has remained the same, with eleven different presidents. It can be seen from space because it is in the middle of the football field. It is chiseled in stone on several signs on campus, and of course it is on every piece of letterhead.

Oh Boy…

It wasn’t the lyrics of a classic song, it was the announced death of a person I’ve known for forty years.

Relationships made at work are in a peculiar box. Often they are simply “associates”, people that are known, people that share a building or office, people that work together on projects… but often they never enter in to your private life.

‘Associate” does not necessarily mean being a friend. In academia, relationships have another label- colleague, another person at the “college”. Again, friendship is not implied, but the relationship is deeper on many levels. More complex, more commitment.

It’s stranger still when the individual should be a “friend”, but has never quite transitioned to that close circle. It is always a missed opportunity. I received a death notice of a person that should have been my friend, but remained my colleague. We smiled in hallways. We brought joy to each other in the passing. We loved the same things in the world. We taught things of passion.

And somehow we never had the time for “friendship”. that was an error on my part. I should have reached out more because I appreciated his “being”. But I think he knew that, so maybe it was the same for him.

The college asked for comments, I sent the following.

David…

He was/is the purist definition of a colleague. We shared in teaching disciplines that did not directly lead to successful careers, yet we believed the disciplines were essential to being a successful individual. We shared being part-time instructors in the decades when part-time did not have the respect of others. We shared the challenge of being academic chairs when budgets were contracting every year. We shared the joy of loving the community of the college above all else. But he was kinder, wiser, and more gentle.

I will miss my rare colleague, as he continues to lead the way.