Tag Archives: pet peeves

Awe

Awe: (n) a feeling of reverential respect mixed with fear or wonder.dictionary with letter A

I was trying to figure out if there are two words that are more diametrically opposed to one another while still possessing the same root as “awesome” and “awful.”

How could they both have the word “awe” in them? I guess it’s because things that are worthy of awe are not always pleasant.

I remember the first time I ever saw the simulation of a nuclear explosion. It certainly generated awe. Matter of fact, it was full of it. Thus, awful.

And then, on occasion, sometimes a beautiful experience will dribble across my path and pause my busy mind with a stilled sense of awe. Sometimes awe–therefore, awesome.

Whatever the conclusion, it is important for each and every one of us to maintain enough childlike quality that we can be impressed. Perhaps one of my greatest pet peeves is when I find myself in the presence of something that requires a sense of awe and someone next to me explains that “it’s nothing special; they’ve seen it a hundred times before.”

This is why I know that well-read people are not necessarily more intelligent–unless they’re affected by what the books say.

Well traveled people are not more open-minded unless they’ve learned to include others.

And experienced individuals don’t carry a sense of greatness unless they can come into the presence of something truly beautiful… and still be in awe.

 

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Anything

dictionary with letter A

Anything: (pron) used to refer to a thing, no matter what

If you’ve ever parented teenagers, this response is probably one of your pet peeves.

If you ask them a question of any sort, they will either ignore you or reply, “I guess anything’s OK.”

I grew weary of this.

So one night when I asked my teenage sons what they wanted to have for dinner, and they replied, “anything,” I complied.

I went out to a neighbor’s trash can and pulled out the cast-aside leftovers of their previous lunch–some half-eaten sandwiches already drawing the interest of a couple of ants, the skeleton of a fish, and believe it or not, some broken pieces of pumpkin shell.

I found two bottles of partially consumed Coca-Cola, put it all on a platter, set plates, silverware and called them to dinner.

At first they were in such a state of oblivion that they didn’t recognize the placement set before them as being basically inedible, but perched in their chairs and reached for their cell phones.

So adding to the comedy of the moment, I asked one of them to offer grace. It was at this point that the child felt the need to look at the food, in order to determine the length and intensity of the prayer. Amazingly, he did not gaze at me in horror, but rather, looked at the spread before him, perplexed, shook his heads, and began to pray:

“Thanks for the food and the hands that prepared it, and for this day. In Jesus name, amen.”

Finishing the prayer, they both stared at the food–or shall I say, the “remains of the day”–and then looked at me quizzically, asking, “What is it?”

I smiled, grabbed my fork and spoon and touted, “It’s anything. Dig in.”

 

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