Exedra – Wordplay Wednesday™ 03/06/2019

Wistful Thinking and Toe-to-Toe Talking 

Wiki: exedra Kameiros, Rhodes, Greece

Ever wonder what a conversation with Aristotle or Socrates might be like? The ancient Greek philosophers pioneered Western philosophy as we know it. Did they develop their ideas in an …

EXEDRA (ekʹsi drɘ; pl. -draeʹ) n. – in ancient Greece, a room, building, or outdoor area with seats, where conversations were held. WW #206]

My Greek best friend often laments a lack of community in the U.S. Not just in neighborhoods, but in attitude. Evening and weekend strolls with friends and soon-to-be friends often include an exedra, where thoughts, ideas, and communal conversation flow. She says the art of camaraderie and outdoor exedrae are alive and well in modern Greece.

Boardwalk, Pacific Beach CA

Although seaside towns and cities here, often include “boardwalks” or “promenades,” landlocked or interior burgs have rarely duplicated that sense of community; and parks are rarely conducive to meeting anyone new or encouraging discussion.

However, an exedra can apply to home as well as community. In our digital age in which everyone “talks” via miscellaneous devices, we’re losing touch with the art of personal communication.

If allowed to continue, we humans face a vapid world of screen-only communication. We were given the sense of touch, and empathy of emotion, for a reason … to interact with each other.

The snow, rain, and cold clouds will soon give way to Spring’s warm days, perfect for toe-to-toe talking with friends and acquaintances. Let’s not forget what sets us apart from animals … and robots. Create an exedra in your home, yard, office, or community, for stimulating, philosophical conversation.

Word Challenge: EXEDRA. Yes, free-flowing conversation will also take a little of your time. Consider how much it might relieve your stress and stimulate your thoughts, as you fit exedra into your week of conversational writing.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

           

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. The true behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz  

Clubbable – Wordplay Wednesday™ 02/27/2019

A Night of Revelry … A Mugger’s Prey … Neither 

Oh sure, you’re acceptable enough to have friends and maybe even one with benefits. And you’re sociable enough to mingle at parties and dabble on @Netflix. But are you truly …

CLUBBABLE (klubʹɘ bɘl) adj. – suited to membership in a club; sociable. [WW #205]

Per the dictionary, clubbable was “coined (early 1780s) by Samuel Johnson,” who arguably wrote the first modern “word-book” published in 1755, Dictionary of the English Language. “Dictionaries are like watches, the worst is better than none and the

best cannot be expected to go quite true.”

Do you look at a word that you’re unfamiliar with and kind of make up your own first impression of what it might mean?

Spotting clubbable, your first thought may have conjured an innocent person vulnerable to a mugging. Not unusual in our current society. (Or on a lighter note … you’re ready for a night of clubbing!)

Because I matured in an era before crime was so pervasive, my first thought was of a scene from caveman days—something along the lines of The Flintstones. I try to think in terms of humor rather than brutality.

It was a relief to find that clubbable defines a personality or lifestyle, rather than an act of violence. Although it can smack of discrimination, “suited to membership” also denotes possessing certain skillsets, traits or artistic abilities that resonate with others of the same ilk, and makes you clubbable for their organization.

The best way to ensure you are clubbable … start your own club.

Word Challenge: CLUBBABLE. We do tend to gather with others complementary to our general nature.  Consider what makes your group clubbable as you fit it into your week of sociable writing.

Learning knows no prejudices or boundaries, and it isn’t fattening! Expanding your mind is a no-cost, simple joy. Do you feel that way too? What’s your inspiration? Share your creative genius and Wordplay Wednesday comments below.

Write first for yourself … only then can you write for others. (L.Rochelle) 

Cheers to learning a new word on Wordplay Wednesday!

           

@PenchantForPen

@Irishwriter

LinDee Rochelle is a writer and editor by trade, and an author by way of Rock & Roll. She has published two books (of three) in her Blast from Your Past series about pioneering R&R Radio DJs. The true behind-the-mic tales make GREAT Holiday Gifts available on Amazon (eBook and print): Book 1 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The First Five Years 1954-1959; and Book 2 – Rock & Roll Radio DJs: The Swinging Sixties. Coming soon … The Psychedelic Seventies!

E-N-Dzzzzzzzz