So, sitting here at midnight, devouring the last of my 4th of July Barbecue leftovers, I am plagued with the same thought I have had for many years. I often ponder this, and it is a very difficult ‘ponder’ to put into words.
Here goes nothing…
Breaking Down The Thought
I’ll try to break it down so that you don’t think I’ve lost it a little bit hehe. Whenever I meet people, I notice that they have a knack for something or do certain things with ease that most people would struggle to do.
For Instance, I had a friend in High School who found Math so simple and common sense. I imagine he didn’t see numbers the way the rest of us did. While I gazed upon a board filled with Greek letters, alphabets, and nasty-looking numbers, he saw patterns.
My brother is another example. He learned to play instruments, and I had all the same opportunities he had, but for some reason, I have always struggled to grasp the concepts. When he hears a song, while I’m generally enjoying the music, he is picking up and singling out distinct sounds of certain instruments, while marveling at the skills of each player. I have started to listen more deeply to the music and the sounds now, and I learnt that from him. Though he is no Beethoven, he is still able to vibe and enjoy himself with his instruments.
I could go on.
I meet people, and I notice that they have natural inclinations. I am not negating the fact that skills also need time and effort to develop and improve, but it is sometimes obvious that people are born with natural gifts and impressive talents.
It is even more astounding to see this in babies. My friend’s 5-month-old would sometimes hum or babble songs so clearly that I was both frightened and impressed because she would even do it in her sleep at times. Some children love fixing and building things. They could tape and tie random objects together to create functional devices.
Talents like these are awesome and should always be encouraged and supported in whatever way possible because I am convinced God sends us down with these unique skills as an answer to existing problems, so that we can bring solutions to our world.
If you think about it, it’s almost like having superpowers?!
Wanna Know My Super Power?
Here is where it gets tricky to explain.
I sometimes get a lucid thought of a single word.
Almost like someone spoke a single, random word to me.
In my mind, I can see the word, spelling and all, and usually it’s a word I have never seen or heard before. With that word comes a feeling…
~Sigh~ Scratches head aggressively
Dear reader, try to stay with me on this one. I promise… it may sound crazy, but this really happens to me, and it’s almost impossible to explain this to the next person without sounding like something is wrong with me.
Okay, so the feeling that comes with the word is often related to its meaning.
The most recent word that was “dropped” into my mind while I was minding my own business was the word ~Surreptitiously~
I kid you not. I never knew that word before I heard it in my mind. The word itself felt like a secret, so I figured it meant something related to secrets. Usually, when this happens, I check the meaning immediately, and you can imagine my absolute surprise when I am right about the meaning!
My next move is usually to incorporate the word into my everyday speech and writing as a way to include it in my vocabulary, so that it can grow. I enjoy finding synonyms of words that add color to speech and help me describe things in a more enjoyable and interesting way, because why say,
“He secretly snuck the cookie out of the Jar.”
When you can say:
“He surreptitiously snuck the cookie out of the Jar.”
There is just more flair in that sentence… at least to me. It elevates the language.
Been a Super Hero for a Hot Minute
It’s funny because when I started really getting into reading novels, I was about 9 years old and I began with Enid Blyton books. The ones with the short stories all in one, and I was enamored by her work. Though she wrote for children, she did not dumb down her writing. She used words like Peculiar, Astonished, Astounded, Mischievous, Conjuring…
These were words I had never heard before. No one used words like that around me, so I didn’t know what they meant, and when you don’t know what a word means in a book, the context might help, but if it doesn’t, the story is often lost, and it becomes hard to understand.
At the time, I didn’t have a phone or easily accessible internet to Google what the words meant, but my mother had a giant dictionary that I could barely lift off the table. This thing was comically huge, but I would keep it beside me on the dining table while I read, and when I found a word I didn’t know, I would check the dictionary. Eventually, I also started keeping a Thesaurus next to me, and I would scribble down more familiar synonyms of the new words on top of them to get me acquainted with the meanings of the words.
This didn’t feel like a chore or homework or a bore, I genuinely enjoyed doing this and often got so lost in whatever book I was reading, that my parents would come looking for me, only to find me hunched over with an ancient behemoth of a dictionary on one side, a thesaurus on the other, and my nose buried deep within a novel.
It became like a game in my house to find new words and ask me what they meant. It surprised everyone, including me, when I would almost quote the dictionary’s meaning word for word. Maybe I had breezed over so many words in the dictionary that they were seared into my subconscious…maybe? Back then, it didn’t feel all that impressive to me, but now, I would say it’s pretty exciting and impressive.
Though it’s not a talent that can easily be spotted, it’s super fun to get those new words like a little ping in my mind. Then guess the meaning, and check a dictionary only to find out it’s correct: Like a mini game show.
So What’s My Superhero Name?
I think I’m going to go with:
The Lexicon
Cuz it sounds cool!
Wish I could take credit for coming up with that one, but as you all know, my new bestie Gemini has been coming in handy these days. Man, what would we do without AI? I can’t even remember what life was like before it entered the picture. You’re telling me, once upon a time, I used to write emails off the dome?? Nah!
The other options were Lingo, Verb Vandal, The Orator, and Cipher Speak…
As you can see, The Lexicon was the obvious choice… maybe that’s what my Substack name should be??
The Lexicon Bids You Farewell
Now that you know my fun little flex on the English Language, I hope it inspires you to find your own unique and natural gift, which you may have thought was too insignificant to be worth acknowledging. Or maybe you do have an awesome skill you might be taking for granted and underusing. It’s time to really flex your talents and share them with the world!
You may not realize just how cool you are, and dear reader, you, YES YOU!, are super cool!
Thank you for taking the time to read till the end!
As always, I look forward to hearing your own stories, and even your amazing superpowers, so feel free to comment on those! I’m curious to know if anyone has a low-key supernatural like talent. Maybe we can form a real-life Avengers team hahaha!
Till next time! Adios!
This was very interesting and you Ms. lexicon are SUPER. No wonder you are so good at scrabble and anything word related, it cuts across indeed. Before I read your blog today, I looked up the word surreptitious what a coincidence or as my fellow believers will say; it is a confirmation.
My superpower is dance and authentic communication.
This was such a beautiful read Amara🥹