ONE WORD

Have you ever stopped and thought about what one word can do?

Or the thoughts that one word can invoke?

Could you imagine just getting a text from some one that just said “Stronger”?  Huh?  What’s stronger?  Are you stronger?  Are you saying that you’ve been working out a lot and you feel stronger now?  Did looking in the mirror give you this thought?  You look down and see a muscle you’ve never seen before?  Or does this have to do with you emotionally?  I knew you were having relationship issues, are you finally beyond them?  Are you stronger now?  Are you talking about me?  Do I look stronger to you?  Or are you singing some word from a song?

See that one word can invoke so much thought and raise so many questions.  A picture can say a thousand words, but guess what?!?  One word can ask a thousand questions.

How about “dirty”?  Where does your mind go with that word?  You read it on a tweet or a status update some where.  What in the world is that person doing?  Is he/she cleaning a load of laundry and just realized how dirty the clothes were?  Is their room a mess?  Are they about to get frisky and they just don’t know how to put it into anymore than one word?  Did they just read a dirty joke and want to share with the world that they found it to be dirty?  Why would they get me started on this thought and just leave me hanging like this, I gotta respond and see what is going on.  I want to know more!

One single word can say so much at times.  It can leave you in so much thought and asking so many questions that a conversation is sure to be inspired.  That or someone is going to think you’re really weird.  Why is this guy sending me one word texts?  Hasn’t graduated to sentences yet?  I’m so lost!

Now then, think of what single words mean to you.  Take “love” for instance.  Just hearing or reading the word brings out so many feelings.  Love can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  It’s not the same for anyone.  My definition and feelings about love are completely different than anyone else’s feelings about love are.  So my thoughts that come to mind are going to be different.  I hear or read “love” anywhere and I think about my son.  I think about family and friends.  I think about the things in life that I love.  It inspires me to think even deeper thoughts about if I will ever find true love, the love that lasts forever.  Then I start thinking about past relationships and how each of them were different and what was perfect in each of them and was not so perfect.  What I would change in future relationships.

I hear or read someone say “cute” and I think “aww look at that cute puppy dog”.  I might also think “wow, he’s really attractive!” or I might think “ok, it’s working, I’ve become more attractive ..WTG!”  Well, maybe not think WTG, because I don’t usually think letters when I think, I just say it out in my mind.  Like I can not just be like “omg” in my mind.  “o-m-g” doesn’t mean anything in my mind.  I just say it all out like “oh my gosh”.  And then “WTG”, my mind would be like “WTF (Just said out) is he talking about ‘WTG’”.  So somewhere, in between reading or saying it, it translates it and everything is smooth sailing.

Smooth sailing?  Is there really any such thing as smooth sailing?  I mean you’re on a boat in the middle of the water, letting a piece of cloth on a pole give you power to guide you along.  Sure you got control of the pole and the direction, but what if the cloth or pole break and you have no paddles?  How smooth sailing are you now?

What about when someone just sends you a text or a tweet or some other form of communication and it just has your name and an explanation point.  “JEREMY!”.  OH CRAP!  WTF did I do now?!?  Or….Oh no is everything ok?  Or….This person has some really exciting news to share with me.  Are they getting married?  Did they get a new puppy?  When are they going to send a pic?  Why didn’t they just send a pic instead of getting me worried with “JEREMY!”?  People can be so inconsiderate sometimes.  I mean seriously…I’m already planning the wedding, because that is what a gay guys does when you send them a text or tweet with just their name and an explanation point.  We’re already on the phone getting the flowers picked out and then BAM! we get another text and it’s a picture of a little puppy!  HOW DARE YOU!  And the flowers were going to be the most gorgeous flowers you’ve ever seen.  I mean like full blown going all out pink roses with the red tips and everything.  NOT ANYMORE!  Now when you really tell me you are are getting married, you get carnations and sunflowers.  Just the cost of sending me “JEREMY!” and getting my hopes all up.

Not even talking about words anymore, what about when someone sends you one of those face things made from symbols?  That’s all they send is a smiley face.  HUH?  Ok, you’re happy now tell me the story behind it.  Or after you just got through sending someone this long drawn out text and you gave your all in typing it up and made it sound really great.  You just put your whole heart into it and you want them to know how madly in love with them you are (i’ve never done this before, but just saying).  You wait for that reply after they get through reading it and you’re waiting for them to tell you how much in love they are in love with you too and you get this  ” ” .  WHAT?!?  Where’s the other part of the message?  Does that mean something like “ditto” or is this them gently letting me down?  What should I think?  So you resend them the same message you just sent them again just to make sure they got it (they love it when you do this!  Again, I’ve never done it before.  Just saying).

Oh and Did you hear that we have all become ghosts?  Seriously.  Especially in the gay community.  It has to be and someone didn’t notify me, because I get “boo” a lot.  “I like you boo”.  “I want to be with you boo”.  “Good night boo”.  Or even just “BOO!”.   Ahhh!  You seriously scared me with that one.  I wasn’t ready for that text that made a notification noise and vibrated.  It was a shocker to open the text and see “boo”.  Freaky!  I’m just wondering why they didn’t attach a picture of them self wearing a white sheet with holes cut out for eyes.  Now that would be scary!

How about “I’m just saying” after someone says something in a tweet or text.  Yup.  You’re just saying.  I just read it.  I didn’t think anyone stole your screen name and password.  I knew it was you and that you said it.  I don’t need clarification.  I see your screen name or name on my phone and I kinda figure it’s you talking.  And if it’s not, go ahead and have whoever you let borrow your screen name and password say “Tiffany is just saying”.  Okay, Tiffany borrowed John’s screen name for the day.  She had something to say and didn’t have a screen name of her own to use, so John loaned her his for the day.  Thanks for the clarification.  I couldn’t imagine John saying something like that.  It’s just not him.  I kinda figured it was Tiffany.  Crazy girl needs to get a screen name her own.

I can still remember the first time I saw “lmao” in a chat room back in the day (yeah…way back in the day…what day I’m not sure, but it was a part of one of those days way back a long time ago).  I was like “huh?”.  I thought “ok this person accidentally hit their elbow on the keyboard and hit enter”, but then they kept on doing it over and over again.  I finally had to ask.  The person explained to it to me and automatically I had to wonder how much of a butt this person had left, because they were laughing it off a lot.  I mean like every other second they were laughing their butt off and it was at stuff that wasn’t that funny.  They were just addicted to using the term.

Then gradually “lmao” became “lmfao”, because “lmao” didn’t get the point across well enough.  I’m not only “lmao”, but I’m now “lmfao”.  Then if that doesn’t work for you and you got to take things to a new extreme go ahead and “lmmfao”.  If you’re going to do that though, you might as well just say “laughing”, but that would take the fun away from it.

Our minds are so intrigued by turning everything into an abbreviation that the abbreviations gradually become words of their own.  I have just finally started making up my own.  “MDIMU”.  People are like “wtf” and I’m like “Duh, Making Dinner In My Underwear..get with the times dude”.  Throws them for a loop!  Keeps things interesting!   If anyone can make up some crazy stuff…it’s gonna be me!  Sometimes people don’t even say anything.  Like they know and understand what I just said.  I can just imagine their face when they get it “huh?  Should I ask him what that stands for or just pretend I know what it means?”  Or they try to figure it out with random words and I get a reply of “My Dumb Idiot Mother UGH!?”  or even better “What did she do now?”.  HUH?

Okay, that is my rant on words and what they can do.  Our words can do a lot of things and invoke a lot of thought.  Use them wisely and not in a way to confuse people.  There are a lot of people out there that hang on your every word.  I’m not for sure how they hang on a word, but it happens and often.  Once I figure out I will let you know.  Seriously though, understand that our words hold a lot of power and can make a big difference in someone’s life.  Choose them wisely!  They might make someone’s day, week, month, year, or even life.  Look at the power of “I do”.  You mean something to this world and your words, regardless if you realize it or not, make a difference in someone’s life.  And for God’s sake stop “LMAO”, you might need it later!

Thank you for reading my blog.  If you have anything to say about it, please reach out to me.  You can tweet me on twitter (@jspikething).  You can shoot me an e-mail (j_spike_thing@yahoo.com), or you can even send me a text (707-280-2163).  As always I look forward to hearing from you and making new friends.

Lots of love blog junkies,

J