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Apr 4, 2016

NARRATIVE…

Language…Literally?

Posted on 04/01/2016 by Brent A. Velting

Honeybear…

Josh Tillman knows the cringe and clenching thing your back probably just did hearing the word “Honeybear.” I have a similar reaction to public mentions of “babe,” people under 60 saying “dear,” and the all too familiar and overused term “sugar-tits.” One of my ex girlfriends broke up with me because I attempted to sincerely call her this. I kid I kid……I was never sincere about it😉 (P.S. I have never referred to anyone other than my mother as sugar-boobs.) (P.S.S. I would never refer to the queen J Lu as sugar ANYTHING. She’s an empress and worthy of respect.)

I mean what is this motion? Why do we crave familiar terms? It’s as though the insecurity of relationships is audible and visible when we try and wrap nicknames around one another. My friends call me pooh bear because my momma decided I was a pooh pooh bear at age 3. Luckily it’s stuck. I was telling some people at a restaurant last night that my mother’s pinnacle moment in my opinion was screaming “LET’S GO POOH POOH BEAR!” while I was shooting a free throw in high school. The gym was quiet because thats what you’re suppose to do during a free throw. After her exclamation I proceeded to almost break the backboard, I had missed the shot so bad. So ended my illustrious basketball career and extended my life as the man they call pooh pooh.

Here’s my thing with monikers: put some thought and energy into it. I NEVER want to call the person I’m in love with a generic term that I might use for any and EVERY person I may pass on the street. And here’s the point of why the subject deserves a long form writing exercise: language is a gift. It can be joyous, it can be so absolutely painful, it can be transient, it can be literal or transparent…but it SHOULD NEVER BE BORING.

Whether you believe in a God or a higher being or not pleasepleaseplease believe in the power and energy of your WORDS. Your vocal vibrato HAS POWER. It can make friends laugh, it can make you look silly (which is sometimes more powerful than being serious), but be thoughtful and intentional about language. It is an inheritance. It can help you care for your family. It can help you further a career you’ve put SO MUCH energy into. It can be a double edged sword that cuts for darkness or attempts to clear a path for light.

Use it to love as best you can.

Here’s Mr. Josh Tillman (Father John Misty) listening to an inebriated young lady talking about music…but language is what he’d prefer to focus on:

“She says, ‘like literally, music is the air she breathes

And the malaprops make me want to fucking scream’

I wonder if she even knows what that word means

Well, it’s literally not that”

Thank you Mr. Tillman. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Maybe be a bit more gracious about it. After all, we’re all pooh pooh bears to someone at some point.

In the immortal words of j Cole: love yours. Your life is created and formed by the all powerful words in your head that eventually. make their way to your lips. Honor your inheritance. Accept the God power of your language. Love without ceasing by praising yourself and your world through your vocal chords. Make a joyful noise and turn your back to any and all darkness.

Grace and Peace

Brent

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