When I was in sixth grade my three favorite words were 1) boom 2) die 3) vomit. Ranked in that order. This was something I told people, though I’m not sure why discussing favorite words was a popular pastime for eleven-year-olds.
In retrospect, they are not very good favorite words. I was tipping into my “I hate people” phase and it showed in my language.
Two years later I probably would have told you one of my favorite words was fuck. I skipped straight past the lighter curses in my education. To my parents’ horror, it’s regularity has never slipped from my vocabulary.
Today, I think of the words effortlessly and oscillate. I like the phrase “oscillating wildly” and the way effortlessly reminds me of an old favorite fanfiction.
Like my junior high self, my vocabulary has never edged into the obscure. I regret never taking all my English teachers’ advice and looking up words I didn’t know as I read. As an adult, in post-college life, I do look up words (reading next to Alexa helps), but I worry that my word bank will always run low. I worry more when I’m writing and searching for a word that never seems to come.
I work with what I have. And I’ve long retired the original boom, die, vomit trio from their place of honor. So that’s something.
With Love,
Natalie