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Melvin Tooker's avatar

Now I feel the need to purchase dictionaries. Many of them. Immediately. Perhaps I'll hide them all around my house. But, I also need another book case., so I don't forget where I hid them all. I am forever trying to discover meanings of words. Meaning in words. Online doesn't work for boomers. The bad news is, I'm going to a used bookstore in a couple of days. My poor wallet.

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JL Tooker's avatar

May the word be with you!

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Nancy E. Holroyd, RN's avatar

I couldn't get past power and it's connection to angels, before I started writing down a conversation my middle and I had months before she died.

She recalled seeing angels and telling me she had two guardian angels that she had seen several times in her life.

I, too, prefer dictionaries I can hold in my hands, turn pages that rustle with my fingers.

Thanks for the examples of using it as idea-creating writing prompts, too.

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JL Tooker's avatar

I am humbled by you and your daughter’s experience and so very honored you shared it here. May peace always be by your side.

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Words And Walks's avatar

I definitely learned a lot from this! I used to sit at a wooden table in the living room with a dictionary propped open beside me, trying to finish my book reports. We had a computer in the house, but my grandmother always said the dictionary (and our full encyclopedia set) held all the real answers.

What always got me were the circular definitions. You’d look up laundry, and it would say, “to launder.” Or hill: “see mountain.” And I’d groan, now I had to haul that heavy book all the way to the M’s! I’d flip through the pages in frustration, sometimes slamming them to the right spot, only to have my sticky notes go flying.

What a time to be alive. Messy, paper-filled, and full of learning.

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JL Tooker's avatar

"Messy, paper-filled, and full of learning." Sounds like a perfect day for me! LOL Thank you so much, Vera, for sharing your grandmother's wisdom and learning something from the 'Beadsman.'

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Apis Dea's avatar

A beautiful story plus an example how words and how we acquire words can shape us and shape our destiny.

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JL Tooker's avatar

Thank you for your generous words and thank you for restacking the 'essay'.

Regarding the story ... well, that remains to be seen. I just hope I am not one of the dwindling, when it comes to recognizing the value of dictionaries, and what we may discarding for the sake of brevity.

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Charlotte Henley Babb's avatar

You've reminded me of Lisle's lists of words. I'll go back to that, pick a couple and see what happens.

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JL Tooker's avatar

It's always fun!

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Joshua Robinson's avatar

There's nothing quite like following your curiosity down rabbit holes and finding treasure in them! I'll have to try this dictionary exercise next time I'm feeling lost for ideas.

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JL Tooker's avatar

Joshua, thank you for a most wonderful compliment! I think I am an ongoing experiment and feel like a kid chasing dreams ... finally! Rabbit holes rule! (kinda) I hope you never feel lost again, but do know ... you will be found!

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