Summary

A community of writers has contributed their favorite words to create a collective story, celebrating the diversity and emotional resonance of language.

Abstract

The website content describes a collaborative writing project where a group of writers have shared their favorite words and the reasons behind their choices. The author has woven these words into a narrative tapestry, highlighting the unique and often contrasting emotions and memories that words can evoke. The project includes a wide range of words from various languages, each contributing to the story's richness. The authors invite readers to engage with the words, which include terms like "contumacious," "insouciant," "popsicle," "melancholy," and "petrichor." The initiative aims to celebrate the beauty of language and the shared human experience through words, while also providing a playful and heartfelt challenge to readers to create their own stories using the same words. The project concludes with a call to action for readers to contribute their own pieces, tagging the original contributors, and promises a sweet reward for those who participate.

Opinions

The author expresses gratitude and appreciation for the diverse contributions, acknowledging the emotional depth each word adds to the story.
There is a recognition of the therapeutic power of words, as seen in the mention of "laughing" sounding like "love" and the suggestion that words can provide comfort and joy.
The inclusion of words like "gobbledygook" and "kakakainis" reflects a playful and irreverent attitude towards language, embracing its quirks and complexities.
The author hints at the sometimes chaotic and nonsensical nature of life, using words like "discombobulated," "ludicrous," and "shitshow," yet finds solace in the beauty of words.
There is an acknowledgment of the bittersweet nature of nostalgia, as seen in the use of the term "anemoia," and an optimistic belief that such feelings will pass.
The project is seen as an "opiefest," a term used to describe a joyous and fun-filled gathering, indicating the author's view of the exercise as a celebration of community and creativity.
The author encourages a sense of inclusivity and ongoing collaboration by inviting others to participate and contribute to the narrative, suggesting a belief in the collective power of storytelling.

The Favorite Word Challenge From a Community of Writers/Friends

Your responses to ‘What is your favorite word and why?’ woven into a tapestry of ~45 threads.

You’re all in here. Welcome. Please find yourself and others as you move through the tale.

Thanks for playing along, even the contumacious, insouciant and kakakainis (Tagalog for ‘irritating’) amongst you.

There’s a popsicle-sweet treat at the end of this mescolanza (Spanish for ‘mixture’) And, hardly a drop of gobbledygook between here and there.

I’ve been gifted a dictionary of 45 golden words. You put your faith in me and gave.

I’ll say it again. “Mahalo!”

Without grasping for ‘why?’ a plethora of mystical writer-friend spirits, full of fun, love and ‘all-too-rare’ joy, engaged in this ‘opiefest’ (a 1984 ‘crazy-fun beer bash’)

One said ‘fuck’ and gave anyway. Two — perhaps even while suffering from an excess of black bile themselves — provided balance with a double helping, melancholy and melancholia.

I know they’re your favorite words you two, but I hope you continue to embrace laughing too. “Laughing sounds like love” offered one Medium writer, just for sense of scale. If it’ll help, we’ll all give you a virtual fun squish and a snuggle.

Then again, life can be, and often is, a discombobulated ludicrous shitshow, its meaning gone all flaccid. Sometimes euthanasia seems like the right move.

An insidious sense of anemoia may be creeping in as you read my story, but rest assured, it will be evanescent. We’re drawing to a close.

Fair warning though, untoward circumstances may arise as this facetious profligate attempts to cram the word ‘petrichor’ into this story that has no use for it.

Je T’Aime y’all

PS: No algorithms were harmed in the making of this story.

PS#2: In the interest of safety, do not attempt to extrapolate the outcome of this word salad experiment to other situations.

The promised popsicle-sweet treat

Using ALL 45 words high-lighted above, you’re all welcome to create your own masterpiece and tag all the contributors listed below, and any others you wish. Publish where you wish, but I’m going to try for Lucy Dan 蛋小姐 (she/her/她)’s “egg-cellent” pub “The Brain is a Noodle.” She was kind enough to host my original plea for “words and whys.”

Your Favorite Word and Why

Play along, it’ll be fun. I promise.

medium.com

If this made you smile, maybe we’ll do it again sometime.

If I’ve inadvertently left someone and/or their word out, please notify me and forgive me. I’ll make it right.

Be well, Michael Burg, MD.

My favorite word is ‘philatelist’ because it sounds like something it’s not (especially when said aloud), and I used to be one.

If you’d like to read another’s beautiful story with these favorite words, head on over to Jupiter Grant’s cool work at:

https://readmedium.com/an-awkward-reunion-30f20afef013

Mary DeVries, Kevin Alexander, Katie O'Grady, Robert Turner, Carlos Garbiras, Terry Trueman, Upasana Sharma, William (Dollar Bill) Mersey, Uvebruce, James Finn, Lara Starcevich, Ph.D., K Ann, Joepar, Lisa Bradburn, Sheryll James, Christopher Robin, Karen Lappa Haas, Samantha Drobac, Darius Butkevicius, Lori McCray, William J Spirdione, Rebecca Romanelli, Tina L. Smith, Jayrow, Adelia Ritchie, PhD, Terry L. Cooper, Ann Marie Steele 2021, Venu, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, Zach Klebaner, Dr. Jackie Greenwood, Mia Z. Edwards, Dr Jeff Livingston, David Martin, Sherry McGuinn, Charlotte Franklin, Kelly Eden, Holly Jahangiri, Christiana White, Eva Keiffenheim, MSc, Jan Vajda, Frances Adburgham, Maude Pagan, Toya Qualls-Barnette, Jupiter Grant