You Can’t be “Kinda Unique”

One of the things I hate most – in writing or in speaking – is the use of squishy language.  You know what this is – but you may not know you’re doing it. You care so much about what people think of you, and you try so hard each day to get through the day without offending someone, that your language becomes a slimy mess of inchoate and incoherent mush.  (There.  I feel better now.)

Case in point: a professional spokesperson (only because we do not have a semi-pro league; this person definitely belonged there)  spoke about a new product and promoted it by touting its features as “kind of unique.”  ARRGH!

Unique is among the words in the English language that can’t be qualified.  They are – well – unique.  Following is a partial list of words and phrases that can’t be – should never be – modified.  You can’t be sort of :

• unique
• a genius
• brilliant
• stunning
• pregnant
• dead
• fascinating
• original
• the best

If you want to be memorable, have something to say.  Say it well, and don’t back down.  People respect the truth, style and passion.  You can’t waffle your way into any of those things.  I’d rather be remembered for saying interesting things that some people don’t agree with than for saying boring things that nobody can object to.  And I’d rather speak to people who have the same gift. No kinda to it.

Gently Distressed

As there never seems to be enough mood lighting in the world, every morning, in the cold light of day, I’m faced with… well, my face.  When did I transition from fresh-faced beauty to a wabi-sabi crone?

(I’ll save you the trouble.) 

Wabi-sabi (侘寂^?) represents a comprehensive Japanese world view or aesthetic centered on the acceptance of transience. The phrase comes from the two words wabi and sabi. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of beauty that is “imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete”.^[1] It is a concept derived from the Buddhist assertion of the Three marks of existence (三法印, sanbōin^?), specifically impermanence (無常, mujō^?). Note also that the Japanese word for rust, 錆 is also pronounced sabi (the borrowed Chinese character is different, but the word itself is of assumed common etymology), and there is an obvious semantic connection between these concepts.

Characteristics of the wabi-sabi aesthetic include asymmetry, asperity, simplicity, modesty, intimacy, and the suggestion of natural processes.  I would say, that at almost 52, I have a tendency toward the “suggestion of natural processes.”

But I’m rethinking this morning.  I have decided to think of myself the way I do of furniture.  I prefer a fine, older piece that’s been gently distressed.  All those nicks;  the soft edges of wood well-worn by use make furniture more interesting.  Why not women, too?  What am I but a fine, older piece of a** that’s been gently distressed?

The Wages of Wisdom is Wrinkles.

I’ll save you the trouble of looking it up…

An amuse-bouche is a single, bite-sized hors d’œuvre. Amuse-bouche are different from appetizers in that they are not ordered from a menu by patrons, but, when served, are according to the chef’s selection alone. These, often accompanied by a complementing wine, are served as an excitement of taste buds to both prepare the guest for the meal and to offer a glimpse into the chef’s approach to cooking.

The term is French, literally translated to “mouth amuser”, for bouche means mouth and amuser is “to amuse” or “to please”.