Ten-Finger Exercises

Assorted thoughts, better than sordid thoughts

While I was diligently chopping vegetables for a shrimp stir-fry, I heard what sounded like a "Woohoo!" coming from the office. Bill had headed straight for the computer when he came home, hoping to see the shuttle launch. I assumed it had gone off okay, but evidently not.The mission had been scrubbed because of the weather, so I don't know what his exclamation was about after all.

What I thought was, ten years ago I would never have heard that noise. We didn't "woohoo" then. I'm not sure what we said on occasions where that would now be appropriate, but it wasn't "woohoo!"

We've recently, in the US that is, adopted the British expression "in hospital." It still sounds quite naked to my ear: it is a noun and deserves an article, "in the hospital." Without one, it is used like an adverbial phrase describing where-- that's my best guess.

Here's another phrase that has crept into our vocabulary from parts unknown to me, probably England. We read in the paper or hear on tv about a hiker who's "gone missing." We never used to say that, not until the past few years, but I can't remember what we did say to mean the same thing. I think we just said the hiker is missing, present tense.

A further comment on the last line of last night's blog: Christians aren't the only ones who have the hope that their lives have been part of some larger plan, and that life on earth is not all there is. That belief predates Christianity and survives without it as well. I've met very few people who don't hope, and partially believe, that there is something more after death, regardless of their religious beliefs or lack of them.