What's Your Word?

What’s that one word that you can say sums up what you’ve been lately? Not what you were but who you are today and not necessarily a word that has to define the rest of your life. This word probably won’t tattoo itself on your forehead forever, don’t worry. It’s just a bookmark in the many chapters of your life. Before you begin to side eye me in confusion, I’ll explain.

Eat Pray Love. (Yeah, I’m talking about it again.) When Giulio explains to Liz why she may feel like she doesn’t belong in Rome he says, “Maybe you and Rome just have different words.“

Liz asks what he means and then Giulio explains how the way to understanding a city and the people in it is to know what the word of the street is. The majority thought of the people that make up the city would therefore be the “word of the city”. In this case Rome’s word is SEX because if you could read the minds of the people of Rome they would all be most likely be thinking about SEX. The Vatican’s? POWER. Liz’s? Well, Liz is still in search for her word which is the whole reason for her journey, the whole reason for this book and knowing this now, the whole reason I continue reading.

Giulio’s point has me throwing around a couple words in my head. It’s also sparked a Twitter conversation between Ana, my fellow book club member, and myself. I had always noticed that Ana’s About Me on her Twitter says,

I always had thought that maybe she meant ‘world’ and just forgot the L, but I never had the heart to tell me new friend that she possibly misspelled her Twitter bio. Now having read that part of the book I understand perfectly what she means and realize that I too am in search for my word. Ana is between FORGIVENESS and FAITH. I’m dancing with CHANGE, SEEK, and STRIVE. I’m doing all three but if you could read my thoughts then STRIVE would be what’s most running through my mind. (When I’m not thinking about food or shopping!)

I asked myself : Do I belong where I am now? I went from San Francisco State University to San Jose State and now back to San Francisco for a reason. San Jose State and I just didn’t speak the same language and now that I’m back at SFSU I feel that our words coincide. I’m full of different words and the language that my heart and mind speak when I’m in school mode wasn’t vibing with San Jose’s. Upon my return to my original school of choice I was embraced by the people, the way of life there, and the academic programs that seemed to be designed with me in mind. This is where I belong, for now.

This got me to thinking of what other people’s words may be. For instance, Obama’s campaign is  CHANGE. The current state in Egypt would make their word be REFORM but their dictator’s, Hosni Mubarak, word would be CONTROL.

So, what’s your WORD these days? And are we simplistic enough to think that we have just one?