Naming Things

I caught myself today almost using a word I’ve been avoiding since I first started this blog. I stopped myself just in time. Words have a certain gravity; once you put them out into the world, they stick. They define the situation in a way that you can’t take back. If I call this a ‘plague’ or an ‘invasion’ or a ‘collapse,’ then that’s what it becomes in my mind. For now, I’m sticking to ‘anomalies’ and ‘restrictions.’ It feels safer to live in the euphemism. Once you name the monster, you have to acknowledge that it’s in the room with you. I’m not ready for that. I’m keeping my vocabulary small and my head down.