Good morning this morning!
Incase you're struggling with the title:
/hoh-nərz/
ho (like "your Mom's a'hoe!" Santa’s “ho-ho”) + nors (like the end of “Loaners" or in this case... honors”)
When I was in early grade school I struggled with reading. I remember being part of the "early-bird" program at school. This was a tutoring class to help me with reading. Although I did not have dyslexia, I did struggle with reading - largely reading comprehension.
I remember being a kid in middle school being asked to read out loud as the paragraphs would tack on through the chapter while in a random order we students would read to the class. I remember ALLLLLLWAYS struggling with the word "else"...
I would half pause beforehand, then drive through it saying /ee-lease/ hoping no one would catch on.
I would get distracted on how different people would say words, like "the" or "a".. is it thE or is it thA? was it "a" or "ah". Still to this day I will find myself saying each one in conversation, within the same moment of a statement
Kind of like the way I still write measurements in decimal AND fractions...
Like the same sequence of writing a sentence, like: "Josh is a dumbass" I wrote 4.25 for one piece (Josh is a) and into the next part 2-3/4 (a dumbass)... Imagine the self-aware'd confusion I had when it was time to cut the wood?!... like who the hell?! this bro needs early bird training!
Maybe it's an ambidextrous structure of thought between both sides of the brain while verbally articulating?
The real gem was in Highschool, it was my freshman year. Somehow I managed to be allowed into Honors English. Weirder yet, my teacher, Mrs Lydle, was also my Dad's college English teacher. Boy did I get a social hazing amongst my classmates for that info! I still don't know what positioned me to be in this class. Nonetheless, I would be in Honors English all four years, and let me tell you! getting all those smarty-pants people in one room would be far more chaotic than a class of troublemakers.
One quiet day in class we all were head down doing our work and I got hung up on a word. I struggled and struggled with it, and to no avail, I mustered the ignorant courage to approach the teacher. I walked to her desk and pointed at the word and said I'm struggling getting past this word.
"What is ho-ners?"
Mrs Lydle was an odd one, many weren't fond of her. She carried herself in that dorky-nerd-like parody of an aloof librarian.. Despite that front, she was kind in the moment... likely more confused as I repeated myself with growing frustration.
This word here, what is ho-ners?
There I am managing the stresses of feeling like a total dumbass because I was genuinely hung up not knowing this word.. all of it compounded by the ignorant confidence only a highschool freshman would have to ask their teacher what a word says...
Then BAM!
Honnnnooorrs...
As I look back on the moment, I'm not sure Mrs Lydle even understood what I was saying. Much like my embarrassment of grinding through "else" hoping she wouldn't hear me, she really ended the experience with a passive eye roll, lifted lip, like "that kid's a total dumbass"
When the blood flow hit the brain, I thanked her and walked away back to my desk. Thank hell this memory was just to me and not the class!! - however, in typical Josh ways, I went home and told my educated family about it.
To this day, now 30 years later, when shit goes sideways, when things don't make sense, it's easy to say "ho-ners english" and everyone within the know knows how stupid the moment is. ha!
Who would have guessed that when I was in college, I made $300 in my first semester writing multiple essays for different people. Once one found out that I was paid, they were quick to pay me for that same effort.
Now - sheesh! WOW! haha... I have a weekly commitment of putting words down into this blog to share with the masses of all who care to read the words.
I suppose if one keeps hammering the rock long enough, eventually they'll shape it into a perfect ball, making it seem like it was always meant to be that way. ha! So goes my writings. :) I will find myself rereading what I wrote so many years ago and be like "damn!" that was really well written..
My writings have certainly found their way of getting much better over the years. I now find myself wanting to read other, very, very random books to see how real authors write stories. My collection is largely self help, marketing and business books. I find the content tangible which gives me a way to practice the teachings - like reading a recipe. There's a causal effect to the effort given. Fiction books however.. well, I'd enjoy playing video games more than that. :)
Having said that, and man! this can only come from a strange level of vulnerable confidence here, I have wanted to get better at writing and storytelling... honest to god:
I have thought about picking up a romance novel?!!
Largely to see what the hell it's alllll about and how it's written.. I suppose it'd be like taking ballet so they could know how to rock hard in a mosh-pit.
But dude!... can you imagine?! lol! I have never seen someone read these, but they are allll over the place at the grocery store in the book section. hahah!
Being serious about the craft of writing, there has to be a hidden talent to tell such a romantic novel story. Like a Lifetime Movie but in a book... you should see my face right now. ha! Same for the legend, Steven King. I've never read such fiction as a grown ass man before. Maybe one of these days I'll give it a go! :)
Are you much of a reader?
if so, what kind of stuff do you read?
Or, would you rather watch Tik-Tok or a movie, or, just look at all the pictures? (Chas! hahah!)
I'd be curious to know :) So please share with me if you do. :)
In odd timing of conversational sharing, here's a picture sent from my Dad no less.
What an awesome morning picture! :)
Just had to share it with a friend! :)
Have a grateful weekend! :)
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