April 28, 2014
U is for…
…uneffingbelievable.
This word—yes, it’s a word, a blend of unbelievable and effing, which stands in for another slightly more profane word. Perhaps it’s not in a dictionary…yet…but its meaning is recognized and recognizable, therefore it is communication, therefore it is a word.
Uneffingbelievable can be used in two different senses.
The negative:
It’s 5 p.m. and they only have one line open, only one checker on duty? Uneffingbelievable! This is gonna take for-effing-ever! <heavy exasperated sigh>
Or the positive:
Did you see that eagle nest on the top of the power pole that we passed? I could see the baby eagle heads over the top of the nest, and the mother flew back with food right when we drove by! It was uneffingbelievable!
I think a lot of things in life can go both ways, can be seen in (or used for) the negative or the positive, as a matter of choice. I am working to choose the positive more often than the negative. It’s still a work in progress, and I need frequent reminders that it’s a choice…but I can even choose to view that in a plus or minus light. I think I’ll take the positive view: I’m getting better at this.
Pushing the Bruise 
I’m proud of your progress. I’m working on being more positive as well.
Thank you, Melinda! I can see the progress, and I can also see how much work I still have to do. Keeping it positive is a conscious and intentional effort that does not always come naturally to me. Hence this A to Z theme of speaking the positive into the space of the negative.
You can do it, too! Frequent gentle reminders with no judgment usually help the process along. 🙂