What The Fuck, October?

So, October is my favourite of all the months. It's the best time of year with indisputably the best holiday that isn't even a holiday, Halloween. I wait all year for October because I know, deep my bones, just the fact that it is October will make me feel better. About myself. About life. About the world. But let's just put the brakes on because it's the second today and things are pretty shit. Let me ignore the lower back pain I'm hobbling through and the fact my sweet demon toddler was up until five in the morning absolutely irrationally inconsolable.

A mass shooting in Vegas?

Tom Petty dying?

The shit show that is American politics which has become a norm to the point that people just aren't talking about it.

Seriously. No ... seriously?

We are supposed to be frolicking through leaves and hand-making costumes for parties where we will gorge on candy and watch horror movies.

Instead the horror movie is the world we live. I don't know. Maybe it's because my DivaCup is over-flowering or the fact I haven't had sugar or caffeine for four days, but fuck.

Yeah, I said it. Fuck.

Am I really contemplating sitting October out?

In other news, I am trying to do Inktober, even though I don't know how to draw.


Day 1
Prompt: Swift

Wordy Wednesday - Liberal

Last night my coworker (and friend) drove us home from the ferry. Somehow, and I can't recall exactly, we ended up on the subject of religion. It's a well known piece of advice to avoid the subjects of politics and religion when indulging in conversation, but I say to hell with this. If you avoid these powerhouse conversational subjects, how will you ever know if you truly like the people you're keeping time with? Think about it. Almost all moral views and ideologies fall under one or both of these categories.

I want to know if the people I call friends don't agree with gay marriage or think climate change is a myth. Not just because it will allow me insight into who they are as people, but I will understand why our friendship is ultimately doomed. But today is Wordy Wednesday, so why I am I telling you all this? Well, you know how I love my tie ins ...

The word: Liberal

For what doesn't seem like a very exciting or interesting word it sure can whip someone into a frenzy and cause problems. There are those who sneer at the mere mention of someone being liberal, like it's a very bad, dirty thing. All I can assume is the definition has actually gotten lost in the twisted world of politics.

My coworker and I are liberal. As we talked, we exchanged ideas. We discussed. I talked about my thoughts on every single person and animal being interconnected and read her a short story I stumbled across on the intersnacks called The Universe Is Our Egg. She told me about her interest in Buddhism, how she finds religions interesting, and actually enjoys listening to people talk about their faith. We agreed faith is a good thing. A great thing. How it seems to be an essential component of existing in this world, which can be so daunting and cruel, so callous and cold.

There was talk of what we find disconcerting about religion. All the judgement. How people push their beliefs on others. The close-mindedness and unwillingness to accept others' thoughts and opinions. Following religious practices without asking questions. Not being able to listen to what another person has to say.

To be liberal is to accept differing opinions and ways of behaving. To be sympathetic. Compassionate. To try to understand others. You don't have to agree with what others think and feel, you don't have to embrace their morals or beliefs, but you are receptive to what they have to say. Being liberal is having your own thoughts and ideas but still accepting other people have theirs too. If you ask me, the world could use a whole lot more tolerance.

So, I believe we are one and that it is only with love that we should move. What do you believe?

Wordy Wednesday

Welcome to another Wordy Wednesday where we delve deep into the wonderful world of the English language to learn new and/or fascinating words. Today's edition features a relatively new word, only added to the online edition of the Oxford English dictionary in August 2013, and is dedicated to the quintessential British beauty Anne. If not for her abundant love for this enjoyable word I might not ever have known of it.

The word: Omnishambles

Compounded by the Latin word 'omni', meaning 'all', and shambles, referring to a state of utter anarchy. A shambolic (another delectable word) situation that has been mismanaged and made into an epic disaster thanks to miscalculations, blunders and (coarsely put) fuck ups.

First used in the British television program called The Thick Of It in 2009, Omnishambles quickly gained popularity, which isn't surprising considering how it rolls of the tongue with such ease. You may even remember the term Romneyshambles being coined for Mitt Romney in the 2012 presidential election. Interestingly enough, this was the same year omnishambles voted Word Of The Year by the Oxford English Dictionary. Coincidence? I think not.

Despite how fun it is to say, I think we can all agree on the relevance of this word, specifically when we consider the state of the world and the catastrophe we call politics. Of course, there is another word one could use that would trump omnishambles. Clusterfuck. Pardon the language, but that one's perfection.