Sunday, June 1, 2008

Buying Words

I just bought a word. In the English language, feisty, adj., is now my word. I paid $6.00 for it. After much soul-searching, it was the only word I wanted to own. I wanted it because once a supervisor called me it, and I liked that he did. Of all the 5 million words in the English language, I like best the one my boss called me. Which shows the importance of language in the work ethic, and the surprising weight of semantics in our perception of self. That idea could be explored.


Beyond that is the fact that I could be enticed to actually buy a word. And that I would ponder what word I wanted to buy, would search my soul looking for exactly the word I want for my own, and, delighted to see no one else had taken it, would go through Pay Pal to buy it as quickly as I could set up the purchase. I applaud Paddy Donnelly and Lee Munroe, who are becoming millionaires selling words. They have sold 5,485 words so far at one dollar for each letter. Can you believe this? Visit their site at http://thebigwordproject.com/ But remember, feisty is mine.


Clicking on that word on their website, takes you to my website http://wandamccollar.com/. That's it. That's all it does. But what a magnificent idea. Way to go, guys! However, wherever I encounter feisty in my reading from now on, I'm bound to think, "Hey, where's my royalties?"




Feisty…



my boss called me feisty


spirited, plucky, spunky,

I remember a teacher
we secretly called feisty –
feisty bitch,
and a mettlesome librarian
we named feisty old bat,
but not without modicums
of awe 
for both.


Comes from fizzle:
To break wind.


Feisty I am then,
and proud.
I am at the
fizzle stage of my life,
dragging bitch and old bat
along with me for texture.
In time one will bow to the other,
but for now they
laugh together.


I’ll try to keep
farting silently.
             
              Wanda Mccollar