Three roads coming together may have been the genius of the traffic circle. I love and serve three roads that merge at different speeds and individual decisions whether to keep going in circles or exit on a path not entered. The professional, the communicator, the gifted adult--all in one package. The individual identifies with one road or the other when entering the traffic circle. Some enter as a professional, flow into the conversation pattern, and take the exit for writers or musicians (the communicators). And so it goes, every day. Hundreds enter, mix it up, and exit. Trivia is the perfect word.
…tri via- three roads that come together. And still no time for serious conversation. “…broken balloon in the underwear drawer” Love this, love your mind. The first bicycle, which you pushed yourself along with your feet (no pedals, steering or brakes) was invented in 1817 by Karl von Drais. Two French inventors created the “velocipede” in 1860 with pedals but still no brakes. 1894 “Betty Bloomers” came into being and women could mount and ride.
From my vantage, this post of yours is wonderfully where it should be. This evening I am unboxing so many things that belonged to a late family member, whom I wish I’d had the chance to know better. I was invited to take what I liked from his former home. Now I am making a new place for them in my home, and knowing him a little more through his ordinary objects and little treasures. Putting his books onto my shelf, I paused to look at “Et cetera, Et cetera”. I wasn’t familiar with it. I opened it at the bookmark left in it at p.22, which begins with a defense of interest in etymology and a tour of the Indo-European root ‘mer’. My memory carried me to the top of the 2nd floor stairs at All Saints in Brookline, MA, outside the rehearsal room with my fellow chorister Stephen Jay Gould…probably 25 years ago. We played a game he had started. Each week one of us would try to stump the other with a word of interesting etymology. It made me so happy. I loved the game, and learning something, and being in the special world of chorus where a person like him and a person like me interacted without imbalance. I would not be surprised if he had known your father, given some parallels in their lives. This evening, I remembered Steve, and I bet he must have loved this book. I wanted to tell someone close to the book how animatedly Steve would have agreed with the defense of etymological fun! So I googled and found you, and what a full circle it was to find this, your latest post. ‘Trivia’ is there, too, in the book, on page 157.
This morning, I found a squeaky toy in the refrigerator. Neither my husband nor I recall leaving it there. We asked the dogs, but they are not confessing to anything. I'm sure there's a story behind that bit of trivia.
Here’s a bit of trivia. A piece of paper, perfectly browned & burned around the edges landed in my back yard, miles from the fires. So perfect it looks fake, like a tv cowboy letter on Ponderosa or Gunsmoke.
Three roads converged in a wood...no, wait, that's two roads! Thanks for this post that truly expands my mind regarding the meaning of that word! I had never considered this meaning before and even now, I'm wondering if I can go along with it! 😂 Guess it doesn't matter--it's trivial I suppose! Thanks for your thought provoking post!
Three roads coming together may have been the genius of the traffic circle. I love and serve three roads that merge at different speeds and individual decisions whether to keep going in circles or exit on a path not entered. The professional, the communicator, the gifted adult--all in one package. The individual identifies with one road or the other when entering the traffic circle. Some enter as a professional, flow into the conversation pattern, and take the exit for writers or musicians (the communicators). And so it goes, every day. Hundreds enter, mix it up, and exit. Trivia is the perfect word.
Chewing gum in the egg salad is viscerally trivial. I’m wondering how that got there!
Always pleased by your surprises, Abigail.
Thanks, Wendy.
You do know how to jump start my brain cells! Shoelace around the soap bar!! A story. ❤️
Thank you. It was a lot of things before I setttled where I settlerd. Glad you enjoyed it.
I've missed you - glad to see you are back with your ongoing word fascination!
No 'Trivial Pursuit' ha!
(Someone had to say it ...) xo
Thank you. Actually that's the first time I realized I was in pursuit of trivia! when you said it! Perfect. Oh dear.
But this is a GOOD thing :)
…tri via- three roads that come together. And still no time for serious conversation. “…broken balloon in the underwear drawer” Love this, love your mind. The first bicycle, which you pushed yourself along with your feet (no pedals, steering or brakes) was invented in 1817 by Karl von Drais. Two French inventors created the “velocipede” in 1860 with pedals but still no brakes. 1894 “Betty Bloomers” came into being and women could mount and ride.
Thank you ! 1860! I wonder what took us so long! after all, the wheel had been around paractcally sincxe fire!!
Dear Abigail,
From my vantage, this post of yours is wonderfully where it should be. This evening I am unboxing so many things that belonged to a late family member, whom I wish I’d had the chance to know better. I was invited to take what I liked from his former home. Now I am making a new place for them in my home, and knowing him a little more through his ordinary objects and little treasures. Putting his books onto my shelf, I paused to look at “Et cetera, Et cetera”. I wasn’t familiar with it. I opened it at the bookmark left in it at p.22, which begins with a defense of interest in etymology and a tour of the Indo-European root ‘mer’. My memory carried me to the top of the 2nd floor stairs at All Saints in Brookline, MA, outside the rehearsal room with my fellow chorister Stephen Jay Gould…probably 25 years ago. We played a game he had started. Each week one of us would try to stump the other with a word of interesting etymology. It made me so happy. I loved the game, and learning something, and being in the special world of chorus where a person like him and a person like me interacted without imbalance. I would not be surprised if he had known your father, given some parallels in their lives. This evening, I remembered Steve, and I bet he must have loved this book. I wanted to tell someone close to the book how animatedly Steve would have agreed with the defense of etymological fun! So I googled and found you, and what a full circle it was to find this, your latest post. ‘Trivia’ is there, too, in the book, on page 157.
Best regards,
JL
I'm currently in love with a new word that I learned from the book my book club is reading. Pareidolia - https://substack.com/@theingredientguru/note/c-85079618
Words, especially new ones, are so wonderful. And old favorite words can be delightful when they appear at just the right time.
wonderful word.
This morning, I found a squeaky toy in the refrigerator. Neither my husband nor I recall leaving it there. We asked the dogs, but they are not confessing to anything. I'm sure there's a story behind that bit of trivia.
Your "trivia" is what I generally label "absurd." I love the absurd, the random. And thank you for pointing out that there's a story there.
so glad you liked it. thank you. and yeah, the absurd. Random is also a wonderful word!
Stories everywhere!
Yes!
Love this reflection. And I learned something new: tri via. Who knew?
Evolution! Love it!
Here’s a bit of trivia. A piece of paper, perfectly browned & burned around the edges landed in my back yard, miles from the fires. So perfect it looks fake, like a tv cowboy letter on Ponderosa or Gunsmoke.
It’s a page from a physics class.
My god. There is something heartbreaking about this. Do you have the urge to save it?
Three roads converged in a wood...no, wait, that's two roads! Thanks for this post that truly expands my mind regarding the meaning of that word! I had never considered this meaning before and even now, I'm wondering if I can go along with it! 😂 Guess it doesn't matter--it's trivial I suppose! Thanks for your thought provoking post!
Love to you Abigail!
Thank you.
Whoa. Such a fabulous flight of many fancies. You done it.
thanks, Beth.