Rewriting #Memories

Posted on August 29, 2012 by polarprisca under writing

I awakened this morning remembering my dreams, an unusual concurrence. My brain had been rewriting my memories, and I was the common thread.

An icon for rewriting an article and for other purposes (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So many people have passed through my life never to be encountered again. Not all have been forgotten. Last night I dreamt about them, as they were when I knew them, 10, 20, 30 years ago. Just like photos of ancestors captured in a moment in time, never changing. The dream me was as I was when I knew each of them, not the person who gazes at me from my mirror.

Once my head had cleared and I understood that a new day had begun, for a moment I was distraught. I had realized that their lives had gone on. They too had changed and I would not recognize them if I passed them on the street today. Gone but not forgotten. I wish them well.

The Dream Escaped

Posted on April 25, 2012 by polarprisca under Travel

Upper Mill Pond

I packed the dream carefully and closed the lid, with no intention of examining it again. I placed the box in the darkest and farthest corner of my life. I may have shed a tear. I can’t remember.

I do remember, once the shock passed, that tears fell when the dream escaped. There it was sparkling in the sunlight, demanding my attention. Dreams must have wills of their own.

Tomorrow, the Octogenarian and I will follow that irrepressible dream to North Bay, Ontario. Road trip reports will be posted.

The Internet Changes the Definition of Yet Another Word

Posted on February 16, 2012 by polarprisca under digital media, Musical Performance, online communicatons, writing

Private no longer means secluded from the sight, presence or intrusion of others. The planners of Whitney Houston’s funeral have seen to that. Anyone with a connection to the Internet will be able to attend on Saturday.

The IMP Log: The Very First Message Sent on the Internet (Photo credit: FastLizard4)

The Internet changed the definition of mouse, boot, tweet, and friend. The tie that binds us in the 21st century changed nouns to verbs and verbs to nouns. The influence of the world wide web on the evolution of language is not going to stop. Revisers of dictionaries will be hard-pressed to keep up with the changes.

This evolution of language – not merely English, but every language that adopts Internet terms verbatim – is inevitable and natural. There is no need for despair. Yet, I am slightly dismayed by the redefinition of private. I am struggling with why I am uncomfortable with the idea that private now encompasses virtual intrusions. Perhaps it is the voyeuristic connotation that comes with the change?

PSA: The Urban Dictionary

Posted on October 4, 2011 by polarprisca under digital media, online communicatons

It began with dapper – one of my favourite words. When I use dapper it is in reference to a man’s attire. As in: Don’t you look dapper tonight. It is a compliment.

Dapper, however, has been adopted by young hipsters and is used descriptively in any number of ways. So often did I see it used online in ways that made no sense to me at all, I had to look it up. Not in a traditional dictionary, but in the Urban Dictionary. An online marvel that unlocks the language of under 30s. I’ve found it useful when I receive a coded txt [text message for those over 30] from a niece or nephew.

Words change – when I began to read a mouse was an animal, now it is a device to move a cursor around a computer screen. Friend is used as a verb, as often as a noun these days. Twitter is no longer a sound that a budgie makes – but a brand, verb and a communications tool. I suggest you put the Urban Dictionary in your communications tool kit.

PS – for the under 30s – PSA is old-speak for Public Service Announcement.

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