Docendo discimus - "By Teaching, We Learn"

[P]
Punctilious (punk-tilly-ous)

Dictionary meaning:
A fine point, particular. Strictness or exactness in the observance of formalities or amenities.

Jentionary meaning:
Cold toes and a red paper clip are what caused the urge to write tonight. The paper clip was used to open my lock box, and the cold toes? Well I can only speculate the reasoning to be poor circulation. Not only are cold toes obviously cold, but they are more annoying in my experience than anything else I can imagine. I am the kind of person that can have three blankets, two pair of socks, a dog resting on my feet and still have freezing toes. I don't know what kind of sick joke bad circulation is, but it definitely needs to stop. Pun not intended.

I don't know where the urge to write really came from, I'll admit it. But I do know that that in writing about cold toes, it has ignited a spark.

In order to write compelling stories, I have to be punctilious about the reporting that I am doing.

I am reading the second edition of, "America's Best Newspaper Writing" and learning the craft of detail. The only reason I believe that I am unable to grasp using more detail and being completely engulfed in something is because I write for a weekly college newspaper. Weekly does not leave much to the imagination when, to be timely, one must write about an event that has yet to happen.
While I like the ability to be able to set the scene for something yet to come, while reading "America's Best Newspaper Writing" I cannot help but realize, being able to be present and capture something while it is happening is much more potent than describing it before it has come to life.

The photographer is observing her surroundings,
punctilious about the subject she is capturing

At least with profile pieces I am able to take a small glimpse into someone's personality, even if not completely enclosed in their surroundings, and present a more vivid look into a story of their life.

Lately I have been trying to paraphrase more often. In paraphrasing, I find that it is testing whether or not I understood what was presented to me. I have been trying to use quotes that have the most meat, the most meaning; the ones that jump out and help to paint a picture in the reader's mind. Instead of using quotes to guide the story, I am letting the reporting do the work.
The reporting.

I also realize that observant detail not only takes more reporting, but more questions than I am used to. More attention to the small details that make all the difference. The time of day when receiving an important phone call, or the outfit chosen to give a meaningful speech.

If I want details I have to observe. I have to ask the questions I want answers to when they pop up. I have to look at everything as if it will be of value to me, because it will be. It will help my understanding when I am more punctilious. In helping my understanding I am learning. And in my learning I am teaching myself; learning more about my own ability as a writer.

Docendo discimus. Latin for, "by teaching, we learn."
And that is something not only important to journalism, but life as a whole.

Someday the paroxysm will help me understand

[P]

Paroxysm (pair-ik-siz-uhm) 

Dictionary meaning: 

Any sudden and violent emotion or action; an outburst; a fit.

Jentionary meaning:

Certain things cause me to go into an instant paroxysm, or a sudden violent emotion. One of these things, for example, is when someone utters to me, "you will understand some day." 

Not only is that belittling the person you are talking to, but it shows your own ignorance to the situation. Understanding 'some day' implies not only a special kind of condescending insult, but also that something negative has to happen in order for me to understand it. 

I will use this generic example: "If you have a child someday, you'll understand how it feels. Obviously you don't. I do." 
(For the record, I am not talking about the physical things that a woman goes through when having a child, but the mental and behavioral aspects that come with having that child.)

This little girl perfectly describes
 the emotion I have for
those who say that,
I will understand 'some day.'

Translation: I know everything about this and you don't, so what you say means absolutely nothing to me. 

Understanding something is all about perception, how someone will see a situation or how someone will act in regard to when the situation happens. Be that situation having a kid or not. 

Some day is the root of this evil. 
Some day you might become the owner of a big company, but you are not as successful as me.
Some day you'll understand what I am trying to say. 
Some day you will see what I mean. 

Some day I will make you understand that you are being a pompous ass.

A person that truly believes they are better than someone else, implying that a person will never understand or get to a certain point, deserves to be put in a cardboard box with no food or water during a rainstorm, for a week. Just sit there and soak it all in. All of it. And I hope you are hungry because you are NOT getting fed. 

Someday I hope that all people will respect one another, stop putting one another on a pedestal and instead of belittling, help one another to get to the point of understanding. Until then, the paroxysm of someday will forever burn in my memory. 

Do you have anything that happens in your life that makes you violently angry, or anything that causes you to throw a fit? If so, tell me about it. I would love to hear your story. 

Ludicrous thought turns into successful feelings

[L]
Ludicrous [lude-a-chris]

Dictionary meaning: causing laughter because of absurdity; provoking or deserving derision; ridiculous or laughable.  

Jentionary meaning: 

"Find what you are really good at, what you have talent at, what you want to do." 

What do I want to do? Run my mouth. Just that notion may seem ludicrous, that's laughable - ridiculous. But I could not be more serious. 

I do not mean running my mouth to boast or lecture, I would just like those within range to listen. The only way I can 'run my mouth' so to speak, that I know of at least, is writing. 

I get a certain sense of comfort and gratification out of writing that I cannot really fully explain. It can be related to the boost of adrenaline that overcomes you when you know your favorite song is next on the track list, when you know all the words and you aren't afraid to show it off. 

For those who know what I am talking about, we know it is a good feeling. A feeling we hope we can always come across at one time or another in our lives. 

But that is all that it is, a feeling. 

This is how I "run my mouth" and have for years.

Would I like to make money writing some day? Well, yeah sure. But that is not what was initially intended - and that is why I believe that I will be successful. I did not decide one day that I was amazing at writing and that it was going to get me somewhere. 

I wrote every single day for years, finding ways to improve and hone my skills. I am by no means done polishing those skills either, I am just at the forefront, but I always hope that someone will be within range to listen or to read. To simply enjoy what it is I have to say.

"You will never get as far as your imagination will allow you." -Corey Taylor

I have come to the realization that writing makes me happy and it is something that I will continue with for a long time. 

Now for the sake of all that is holy, let's all hope that I do not lose my fingers in a tragic accident tomorrow, shall we?

Promulgate with a purpose

In my last post I talked about sacrosanct and how my experiences at the Warren County Career Center helped me open up opportunity for the situations that I am in now. This week I will talk about promulgate.

[P] 
Promulgate [prom-ul-gate]
Dictionary meaning: Promote or make widely known, put into effect by official proclamation.

Jentionary meaning:  
Certain things in life should be made known, certain things you should promulgate to others. 

I have talked about my grandma before, and I will talk about her again. Something about the older generation strikes me as odd. In my experience they have been both stubborn and predictable.

Recently my grandma fell out of her bed while getting up in the middle of the night and cracked her rib. This cracked rib lacerated her spleen, which caused internal bleeding. Internal bleeding does not sound, nor is, a good thing. 

She fell out of her bed and scooted all the way from her room in the front of her house, to her back porch where she could get her legs over a step and prop herself up. After this, she got up, went to the bathroom and decided to go to bed like nothing happened. 

Anna Franer, my grandmother

 When you fall hard enough to crack your rib, it hurts. Why not tell someone?
"Oh it hurt like hell, but my friend Bill was coming over and I didn't want him to have to go home,"  she told me.

My grandma did not tell anyone that she fell until 2:30 that afternoon. She fell out of bed at 1:30 am that morning. Needless to say, she did not promulgate her issue in a prompt manner. Because of this she ended up in the intensive care unit of the hospital for a couple days while the doctors observed her spleen to make sure it did not rupture.

Luckily, her spleen was able to start repairing itself and she was able to go home within four days. If anything, no matter if you are older or younger, make sure you make it known when something is wrong before it turns into something bigger than it should be. 

And that, my friends, is my promulgating issues should be taken more seriously. 

Making my choice toward a future of opportunity

Last week I discussed the origin of Jentionary. This week I will talk about sacrosanct.

[S]
Sacrosanct [sak-roh-sangkt]

Dicitionary Meaning: Above or beyond criticism, change or interference. 

Jentionary Meaning:
Vocational schools, or at least the vocational school that I attended my junior and senior years of high school, somehow had a bad reputation attached to it. I distinctly remember one of my friends from my home school telling me that all the "bad kids went there."

I think that the bad reputation attached to the school came from the fact that the alternative school was right across from the Warren County Career Center in Lebanon, but that has little to do with the point I am trying to make.

When I had went to WCCC for sophomore tours (where the sophomores from each school in the county goes to see which program they may be interested in participating their junior and senior years of high school) I was determined to stay sacrosanct, or above criticism, about the situation.

I was intrigued with the Digital Design program at the Career Center and I was determined to make myself a part of it for the next two years of my life. At first, I had apprehension remembering the reputation that the WCCC held with many of my peers, but I knew that just like everything else in life, it would be what I made it out to be.

The logo for the career center I attended

My teacher for the Digital Design lab ended up being one of my main supporters and inspirations for success. Mr. Beasley, or "B", was one of the first people that encouraged me to consider the Mulltimedia Journalism degree that I am currently pursuing. He is also the one who opened up the opportunity for me to have an internship at WHIO my senior year in the promotions department.

Going to WCCC also provided me with a tech-prep scholarship that I took full advantage of.
If I would have let others perception of WCCC influence my decision I would not have ended up at Sinclair making lasting friendships, writing for The Clarion, or feeling like I really belong somewhere.

Never let anyone's perception bring you down if you truly want to do something. Freedom is sacrosanct and you have the freedom to do whatever you choose.

The Origin of Jentionary

In my last post I talked about wanting to lambaste my orthodontist because of the ongoing eleven year battle with braces that I thought was going to end on March 25. It didn't because of the snow and I was very upset. This week I am going to talk about the origin of Jentionary.

[R]

Relentless

Dictionary meaning:
To be harsh, unmovable or unbending.

Jentionary meaning: 
As my readers know, my blog is about taking words I believe are challenging and using my own connotative meaning to describe them. Not only is this a successful way for me to help others, but giving my own personal twist of the word I choose gives the reader a sense of connection that is more relatable than an example a dictionary would give. The name of the blog was simple, I used my nickname and added 'tionary' to the end. Thus, Jentionary was born.

The conversation Whitney and
I had when she asked me what
the word relentless meant

My friend and co-worker Whitney suggested the blog topic after she asked me through text message one night what the word relentless meant. She had told me the next day when she saw me that she could text me or ask me in person what any word meant and I would be able to explain it in a way she could understand.

Whitney has her own blog you can visit by clicking here, where she talks about her cat Charlie and how he is relentless when it comes to water.

That is exactly what my aim for with this blog happens to be. I want to be able to relate the meaning in some way to the person that is reading, either directly or indirectly, so they can fully understand and use the word if it happens to apply to a situation that arises.  

Now, on to my own story about the word relentless.

In my sophomore year of high school my history teacher Tim Crowe always used the word relentless. Every morning during his class period he would utter, "you kids are relentless" with a smile. After every day of this word being heard by my curious ears, I asked him what it meant.
He simply looked at me and said, "you kids are relentless, that's all."

I had an idea of what it meant due to the context in which it was being used, but I was not really able to apply the use of the word until I looked up what it meant in the dictionary.

From the point that I looked up the meaning pf the word until the remainder of the year I used the word relentless at one point or another.


I used to word to tell my mom I was being relentless by not cleaning my room, doing the dishes, or folding my laundry. I also frequently called my brother relentless when he used to ask questions about anything and everything.

Next time the need arises to call someone you know relentless how will you do it? Is someone you know relentless, or do you know a time when you have been relentless?

Dear orthodontist, can you please take my braces off now?

In my last post I talked about obeisance and being thankful for the simple things in my life, like walking. I told myself to stay positive and was convinced that life will keep on moving whether I want it to or not. Nearly a week later, needless to say, my attitude has changed.

[L]

Lambaste
Dictionary meaning: to criticize someone or something harshly.

Jentionary meaning:
Have you ever wanted something so bad in your life that you could literally taste it? I am talking on the tip of your tongue here people. Or maybe in my case, the tip of my teeth.

On the tip of my teeth, or middle in this case, there happen to be brackets. These brackets make up braces. For those of you who are not aware, I have had my braces on for 11 years. I only wish that number was made up and that I was kidding. I first got my braces on in December of my fourth grade year of elementary school.

Where am I getting at with this?
Today, March 25, 2013 was supposed to be the day that I would finally get my braces off after 11 years. The "snow storm" however, hindered me of that.

 So it makes me want to lambaste the crap out of the people who work at my orthodontist's office. To be fair, I cannot be mad at my orthodontist. My old orthodontist that got me into this 11 year mess is history and now I have an orthodontist who is well educated and knows what she is doing.

That still does not take away the fact that I hate the secretaries who told me that the earliest appointment they could get me is nearly a month away. After 11 years of waiting, even five weeks seems like an eternity. So mentally and quite verbally after getting the news, I criticized, or lambasted them pretty harshly.

So what did I do to take out my anger? I asked my mom to cut some of my hair and dye it. Just a simple change, but one that was needed to get my mind off of something I had been waiting for, for quite a long time coming.

As for my teeth?
Oh well, they will live. Five more weeks isn't really going to kill me, but it does piss me off.
As for my hair? It will grow and the color will fade. All I have to keep telling myself is that life is not going to stop for me simply because I do not like the way it has been treating me lately.


Have you ever been disappointed in something that you have been waiting for a long time? If so, what is it and why were you so excited about it?

Hearing about other disappointments will remind me that I am not alone. Let's all come together and be disappointed for a split amount of time!