I love dictionaries.
Where else do you find words like "uranographer" or "multifarious" or "stickleback"?
If I want to really understand a word, I have to go to the dictionary first. Dictionaries understand that words have flavors. They put Baskin Robbins to shame. Every word has its own collection of nuances.
Take the word "service".
My dictionary lists twenty plus meanings for the word "service". It can be a noun, an adjective, or even a verb. Some of us might think of military "service". Some of us might think of "a set of articles for a particular use, such as a dinner service." Maybe you are thinking of a religious gathering or rite, or tennis, or of a liturgy (if you are thinking that, you must be really smart). But the kind of service I am talking about is found in definition number 2: "performance of labor for the benefit of another."
This is a blog about spending a year involving my family in that kind of service. Service as in "conduct contributing to the advantage of another". Service meaning "an act of helpful activity; help; aid."
I have asked myself many times since this little idea wriggled into my head: Why? Why are you doing this? Like everyone else, extra time for another thing to do isn't exactly thick on the ground. And quite honestly, like everyone else, I already do a lot of service. So does my husband. So do my children. But I guess what I realized is that we aren't usually doing it together. Is it a necessary distinction, after all? Well, I guess I'm going to find out. I want to see what happens when we plan, experience, and review it all together.
In the end, I realized the reason why I want to do this comes down to definition #20: "Nautical. tarred spun yarn or other small stuff for covering the exterior of a rope." Why would you want to cover rope with tarred, spun yarn? Admittedly, I am not a nautical expert, but I can't help but think it is to protect the rope. So that's why I'm doing it.
Not because I want to protect rope. I have a teenage son. I have a daughter who is just about a teenager, and two more little children who one day will be.
I watch them grow and I realize the things they want most from me are not cell phones or video games. They don't need fancy vacations, the latest clothing, or even their very own bedroom. They want to experience what it means to be human. They want to explore the depths of the human heart and soul. They want to see another human being face to face, eye to eye, and they want to understand and be understood.
If they can do this, I can't help but think that some of life's nastier squalls might be made easier to bear. Not that they could ever bypass those storms, but at least they will have a life line, sealed and protected, to hold on to.
Where else do you find words like "uranographer" or "multifarious" or "stickleback"?
If I want to really understand a word, I have to go to the dictionary first. Dictionaries understand that words have flavors. They put Baskin Robbins to shame. Every word has its own collection of nuances.
Take the word "service".
My dictionary lists twenty plus meanings for the word "service". It can be a noun, an adjective, or even a verb. Some of us might think of military "service". Some of us might think of "a set of articles for a particular use, such as a dinner service." Maybe you are thinking of a religious gathering or rite, or tennis, or of a liturgy (if you are thinking that, you must be really smart). But the kind of service I am talking about is found in definition number 2: "performance of labor for the benefit of another."
This is a blog about spending a year involving my family in that kind of service. Service as in "conduct contributing to the advantage of another". Service meaning "an act of helpful activity; help; aid."
I have asked myself many times since this little idea wriggled into my head: Why? Why are you doing this? Like everyone else, extra time for another thing to do isn't exactly thick on the ground. And quite honestly, like everyone else, I already do a lot of service. So does my husband. So do my children. But I guess what I realized is that we aren't usually doing it together. Is it a necessary distinction, after all? Well, I guess I'm going to find out. I want to see what happens when we plan, experience, and review it all together.
In the end, I realized the reason why I want to do this comes down to definition #20: "Nautical. tarred spun yarn or other small stuff for covering the exterior of a rope." Why would you want to cover rope with tarred, spun yarn? Admittedly, I am not a nautical expert, but I can't help but think it is to protect the rope. So that's why I'm doing it.
Not because I want to protect rope. I have a teenage son. I have a daughter who is just about a teenager, and two more little children who one day will be.
I watch them grow and I realize the things they want most from me are not cell phones or video games. They don't need fancy vacations, the latest clothing, or even their very own bedroom. They want to experience what it means to be human. They want to explore the depths of the human heart and soul. They want to see another human being face to face, eye to eye, and they want to understand and be understood.
If they can do this, I can't help but think that some of life's nastier squalls might be made easier to bear. Not that they could ever bypass those storms, but at least they will have a life line, sealed and protected, to hold on to.
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