Words I Hate

My knee just jolted in a sharp sort of pain (it wasn't really painful, just like a small electric shock) so I took that as maybe a sign to stop running this morning. So I only made it two miles today. On a ten and a half minute mile. On the treadmill, running a ten and a half with no incline is like walking. It does so little for me I could probably give a speech or something. So I guess if my knee sends out a little shock I need to quit for the day.

But before the pain came, I was thinking about words I hate. I was just reading Avery Gray's blog and she somehow inspired me into thinking about this. She was going on about words at one point. There are a few words or phrases I can't stand. For starters, I took a potty break between miles and saw one of my Cooking Light magazines in a basket by the pot and saw the word "healthful". I hate that word. I don't know why people use it, I think "healthy" just about covers it, healthful is just plain dumb sounding.

Then that got me thinking about the word "tender". If I ever have to use that word (I even wince when I have to use it to describe meat) I always slap a "or whatever" at the end of it because of sheer embarrassment. Soft doesn't cut it, so I guess I should take the time to grab a thesaurus and see if there is an alternative I can study for times I have to use that stupid word. I knew a girl in high school that used that word every other sentence to express her sentimentalism. All I could think about whenever she entered a room were posters of dogs or cats licking each other and hearts surrounding them. Or else I think of a long, pointy skewer prodding a big piece of raw, red meat.

After that, I thought of the word "special". Special is so overused, so ridiculous and trite sounding that it makes me barf. I would rather use the word "unique" but unique can mean good and bad. Special means both. Again, I need to search for alternatives. Just so you know, I am not really so dumb, I just have issues with words coming into my head quickly enough for them to exit my mouth with precision. I'm probably autistic.

I hate the word "precious". I HATE it. I will never use it. It makes me think about Precious Moments and fluffy animals bouncing around with high-pitched voices on fluffy clouds. Oh gee whiz, I just described a Care Bear. But that is what I mean. Some colorful, chipper bears blasting happiness on someone melancholy with their rainbow colored bellies. How vile. I knew a woman once who carried around a chihuahua. I really think those things are annoying. Anyway, she put a shirt on it that said, "precious possession." I know, exactly.

I hate the phrase rat race. I can't stand the word "huckleberry." I do, however, like Twain's book, shockingly enough.

And I've noticed that I hate words that are sort of happy and gleeful. I have issues with the word gleeful, but it describes these words pretty well, I guess. I think I am a happy person, I just have issues with people that can never be serious. To me, there's nothing worse than a person who is bouncy and happy all the time and then pulls out the "negativity go away" sign when anyone sounds a bit dirge-y. When I see that I think brainwashed. A little too much Joel Osteen and maybe what's her name---Joyce Meyer---penetrating the brain. Not that I watch either of them---when flipping channels I would catch snippets but would have to turn the channel because it made me so sick. But that all could be a different post entirely.

I hope your day is full of tender, precious moments. Here is an alternative version: I hope your day is full of delicate, high-priced moments. No. Delicate, invaluable moments. Delicate, priceless moments. How about dainty (oh wait, I have to puke) exquisite moments.

Just have a day full of garbage and malarkey.