“We’ve been pretty blessed.”
On the
way home from a writer’s workshop in New York, the first leg of my trip found
me sitting next to a couple with a small baby.
I started talking to them, mostly because I figured that when the baby
started crying (which they almost always do on plane flights), having a face
and a story to the crying would help alleviate my impatience. So I struck up a conversation with the couple, who looked
to be in their mid to late twenties and had the exhausted yet happy look of new
parents. I asked if their daughter was
sleeping through the night yet.
The wife’s reply was “We’ve been
pretty blessed – she’s been sleeping well from the first month.”
The use
of the word “blessed” stuck in my mind.
It’s not a word I use much anymore, although at one time it was.
Time was when I would talk about being
“blessed”, as though whatever happened in my life was a gift from someone. Nowadays, my word choice includes terms like
“fortunate” and “lucky.” A small change
– and not a very noticeable one – but still a change. As my life has slanted towards secularism, I
find myself using fewer and fewer of the terms associated with religious
belief. Perhaps this change in
vocabulary reflects a change in thinking or perhaps it just reflects the fact
that I don’t spend much time in church anymore.
However, all of this got me
thinking about some of the smaller marks that we carry with us. In this case, the mark of language: the words
that we use every day that often give indicators as to who we are and what we
do. For example – I have a background in
developmental biology. As a result, many
of my word choices are a reflection of this training. When I talk about terms like fate, lineage,
and specification, I am thinking of some very specific processes that happen
during the development of an organism, rather than some of the broader definitions
used by society at large.
Has anyone else noticed a shift in
language as your life – and environment – has changed?
I can totally relate to this! I've lost a lot of jargon like "blessed" that used to be a regular part of the way I spoke. It makes sense though, that as we learn and grow our perspectives change, which in turn changes the way we express ourselves.
ReplyDeleteIt's a small change - but it's there. :)
DeleteI definitely associated "blessed" with church jargon, and I rarely use it anymore, in favor of "fortunate," usually. There are other words--lineage is one, perdition is another--that give me pause when I hear them outside of an LDS context.
ReplyDeleteYeah, sometimes I wonder how the rest of the world views certain terms in the absence of LDS culture.
DeleteI never really liked the word "blessed" to begin with. But I'd have to say I've stopped using the word "grateful" so much.
ReplyDelete...and started using cuss words more often!
Definite yes on the cuss words for me as well!
DeleteI don't associate the word blessed with Mormonism at all. I am from Texas and lots of people use the word. One of my favorite expressions is 'Have a blessed day.' It is very Southern. After leaving Mormonism, I still use the word blessed because I still believe in God and I am a Southerner. I love me some iced tea!
ReplyDeleteI really try not to use what I consider religious words anymore either. I do however, tell my new non-mormon friends - that I am no longer a mormon, but I do still speak the language :)
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a good approach. :)
Delete