Eating My Words

/ roughwighting

eating my words, blogging, Winston Churchill“What’s for breakfast?” my son asks. He’s visiting from California thanks to a Boston business trip.

“Malevolent . Ensorcell. Palatable.”

Sean watches me pour the words into my cereal bowl. “Are you adding milk to that?” he wonders out loud.

“I like my words dry,” I respond.

My sophisticated adult son sits down with a thud. The look in his gray-green eyes changes from amusement to concern in seconds. 

“Mom, is everything okay?”

I pour two more words into my bowl, because I’ve never heard him ask that question. Usually, it’s the other way around.

“What did you just add?” Sean prods.

“Disquiet. Unnerve.” writing prompt, creative writing

Sean checks his watch. Which actually is a phone, but right now, a text messenger, or perhaps an e-mail generator. He hits a few buttons on the device and then returns to stare at me.

I begin to eat. These words are extra crunchy, so the sound is disconcerting.

“Why are you eating your words?” Sean seems to have decided to play along with his mother’s eccentricity. A sign of maturity, because in the past, he’s ignored my tendency to be innovative, enigmatic, and ingenious.

My face lights up.

“What?” my grown-up boy brings his chair closer to the table.

“I just thought of three words for breakfast tomorrow,” I reply.

“Mom. Seriously. I know you’re a writer, but do you really need to eat your words, as well as play with them all day?”

“Play? Play?!” I reply, swallowing disquiet too quickly, thus choking on my words. “Writing happens to be my life, you know. My career may not be palatable to you, since your work involves concrete, commercial, corporate success.”

Sean stands up, pacing around our round kitchen table. “I didn’t mean anything malevolent by my question,” he says. “If anything, I’m ensorcelled by your ability to sit at your writing desk for hours, making up characters and stories. It’s just….” he pauses, and I note his uneasiness. My son is a confident, assertive, take-charge kind of man, so I’m taken aback by his hesitation.

“It’s just what?” I rise to clean my bowl, but of course, I’ve left no word behind.

“I get a bit unnerved when you blog about familial activities,” he admits.

I stand still, shocked. “I didn’t think you ever read my stories or blog posts,” I respond.

“Every week,” he returns.

Now I’ll need to add another word to my breakfast tomorrow: Gobsmacked.

Malevolent: adj.  having or showing a wish to do evil to others; Ensorcell: v. enchant, fascinate: Palatable: adj.  (of food or drink) pleasant to taste; Familial: adj.  relating to or occurring in a family or its members; Disquiet: n. v. a feeling of anxiety or worry; Unnerve:  v. make (someone) lose courage or confidence; Innovative: adj. introducing new ideas; original and creative in thinking; Enigmatic: adj. difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious; Ingenious: adj. clever, original, and inventive; Gobsmacked: adj. utterly astonished; astounded.

gobsmacked, blogging, creative writing

What words did you eat for breakfast this morning?

135 thoughts on “Eating My Words”

  7. Great post – it’s interesting the assumptions we make about friends and family’s relationship with our writing. I have always taken the approach that it’s best to expect nothing from them but that is obviously a defensive position to protect myself against potential indifference!

    Liked by 4 people

  11. Pam, this was a wonderful post to read this morning and had me chuckling away! I love how your son reads your post – much to your own surprise! As for mobiles, they’re anything but phones these days – I occasionally remind my son he can actually use it to call people!

    I love your breakfast words – gobsmacked is always fun to use! To reenergise my creative flow I set out for a walk to think of some to add to my breakfast bowl!

    Sojourn
    lassitude
    Quandary
    Ominous
    discombobulated
    whither
    Vitriol

    Now I just have to combine them in a short story!

    Wishing you many creative breakfasts.

    I’m so happy to see you back on your blog and sounding fighting fit, your brain sparkling with energy and creativity!
    warmest hugs xxxx

    Liked by 1 person

    • I have been told that gobsmacked is an English word. I think it’s a fantastic one that can be used in many marvelous ways. I love your list of words from your walk and challenge you to use them all in a story! Sounds to me like you had quite an exciting sojourn this morning. 🤗💙

      Liked by 1 person

  13. I’ve always longed to be described as enigmatic. But life has taught me that I’m by nature too much of an open book for that adjective to be tossed my way. Still, a girl can dream…

    Liked by 2 people

  16. I enjoyed how your son played along with your creative breakfast. Perhaps there is hope for him. I don’t think anyone in my family reads my website. My main words: minimal, thirsty, apprehensive. I’m having a test later and had to stop food and water by 7:30 am.

    Liked by 2 people

  17. What a clever post, Pam. I learned one new word in the bunch: ensorcell. I’d be gobsmacked to find any of my kids read my blog! My husband does now but just because I’ve harassed him so much about it. Very cute indeed. 🙂

    Liked by 3 people

    • Ohhh, these family members of ours. Truly, I think they’re frightened by our words-what will they reveal about us that they don’t know?
      In reality, if they relaxed, our stories would ensorcel them. 🤓

      Liked by 1 person

  19. Great post, Pam! The words I ate for breakfast are as follows: “Even with your license, you can’t drive by yourself because you’re not on our insurance yet.” Ah, blogging about family! Enjoy your time with your son. 🙂 Hope you’re feeling much better, my friend.

    Liked by 2 people

    • OH MY GOSH! I had to look these up, I admit. A fear of Friday the 13th- oh my, thank goodness they don’t come around too often (Friday the 13th AND those words). I survived yesterday with no mishap. Did you?
      PS. I loved reading about the inventor of the second word. Dr. Donald Dossey told his patients that “when you learn to pronounce it, you’re cured!”
      Hope you have some more palatable words with your breakfast this morning, like “astonishment,” “enlightenment,” or perhaps “delectation.” 🙂

      Like

  25. I hafta admit, I had never heard “ensorcell” before. So, hey! Your blog is fun AND educational!

    I am familiar with your son’s concerns about posts featuring family; my mom *hates* it when I include her in my posts. That said, she doesn’t read my blog, so I do it anyway. (Let’s keep that just between us, OK?)

    Liked by 2 people

    • What’s your mom’s phone number? Oh, never mind…
      Yeah, I think that’s why no one in my family except my guy reads my blogs. They figure if they can’t see what I’ve written, it’s not there. I call this post here about breakfast with my son “fictional truth.” It never really happened (except for the visit – we had a great time). But if he DID see me eating my words, this is exactly what the conversation would have been. 🙂

      Like

  26. Oh how we have to eat our words at times! That’s what we get for keeping the creative spirit flowing through our typing fingertips. My children grew up with their dad writing about them in the newspaper every week. So blogging about them has proven a little more facile. Except am always trying to figure out how much is *too much*. A fine line we perigrinate. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Writing a blog is a pilgrimage to the other side – the side where words appear unbidden and sometimes unwanted, yet they roam in our mind and demand some attention. With words, we can wander to places our family perhaps would like us to avoid, but hey, we writers sometimes lose control …. as we peregrinate. 🙂 Thanks for, again, inspiring me with YOUR words, Kathy. xo

      Liked by 1 person

  27. Thank you for the smiles Pam! My hubby is asking what is so amusing but he wouldn’t like all those weird words…he finds my poetry too heavy though I avoid such words but to tell you the truth, I have digested all those you have mentioned. Thank you, I am so full! Burp! excuse me.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Ah, siblings. I have a brother who I adore. We get along well, although we live many states away. However, he has NEVER read my blog either. Sigh. His excuse is that he’s an accountant of numbers, not words. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

    • Probably a great idea. My guy eats his granola every morning mixed in with yogurt instead of milk. Looks unappetizing to me, but quite healthy. And he says it does make the words go down easier. 🙂

      Like

  35. Fabulous, Pam. So glad you gave the definition of ensorcell! I was ensorcelled by your post. Today’s breakfast words were pleasantly anicipatory but I know already, because Monday is not going to be a good day, Monday’s bowl will contain trepidatious.

    Liked by 2 people

  36. Like you, Merril introduced me to the word “ensorcell,” I remember its meaning because I see the word sorcery in it. Gotta have those mnemonic devices, you know!

    Gobsmacked is one of my favorite words, but I seldom use it perhaps because I haven’t been astonished lately.

    What word did I eat for breakfast today? EEK! (My grand-daughter turns 13 this week.)

    Liked by 2 people

    • Laughing, Marian. I had EEK for breakfast last week, when my granddaughter turned 10 (or, as she exclaimed: “Double Digits!!!”) Where oh where is time going, and could it please stop a bit for us?? xo

      Like

  38. Love it, Pam. Thanks for teaching me some new words. I think your diet is rather like that of Winston Churchill. How wonderful that your son reads your posts. Now you may just have to be a little careful what you write – about him anyway. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  41. How creative and fun, Pam! And it’s nice to learn that your son actually does read your posts. Sometimes, there are magical surprises just around the corner. As to my words this morning, there were only two: ‘coffee first.’ And they went down smoothly! 🙂 Have a great weekend and enjoy your mom/son time, too!

    Liked by 2 people

    • In my mind, ECCENTRIC is a lovely way to be thought of. Eccentrics think for themselves, come up with brilliant ways of living, and one never knows what they’ll do next. Let’s you and I eat up some ECCENTRIC every morning, Robbie. 🙂

      Like

  43. This is brilliant! I frequently don’t comment, since by the time I receive your post by email, you have an enormous number, many of them so clever, that hesitate to add my mundane offerings! I applaud your success—and I love your writing!

    Liked by 2 people

    • Oh, You! Believe me, sometimes I’M intimidated by the clever comments! I always love that you visit here and please, add your two cents as often as you’d like. Thanks for enjoying my writing – you made my day.

      Like

  46. I love this. YOU are just too CLEVER! What a great post and of course he reads what you post. 🙂 But Pam, I don’t think eating your words is that good for you. Better to get the words out and play on them.

    Liked by 1 person

  47. This was a fun way to start my morning. I only had to look up ensorcelled, Not bad for someone who is still recovering lost words. 🙂 Gobsmacked explains a lot. Love that word. At this hour my words are still obscure. I’ll have to come back for a second helping.

    Like

    • Ah, I think we all need second helpings on some of our words. Gobsmacked is one that sometimes needs to be used frequently, since often I’m beyond surprised at what life has to offer.
      Hope your words are going down smoothly for you today. 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

  48. ‘I like my words dry.’ – This is just perfect, Pam! And how wonderful that your son reads your blog regularly! And thanks for explaining the adjectives, I didn’t know ensorcell though guessed it must have something to do with sorcery. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

    • I admit, I never knew the word “ensorcell” until a blogger used it in one of her lovely poems. I looked it up immediately and thought – yesssss, how important to be ensorcelled every day. ❤

      Liked by 1 person

  49. Pingback: BUBBLES OF JOY / #TheStorytellerSpeaks – Annika Perry's Writing Blog

    • I love Winston Churchill’s quote. Most of us are a bit distrustful or dismayed at some of the words that come out of our mouth. Not Winston. I like his attitude of standing by (and happily eating) anything he says. 🙂

      Like

    • Adult children visiting because of a business trip is generally short and sweet. A win/win. I love that chance to have just a quick whirlwind “sitdownandtellmeevertything” get-together. Rare and fun.

      Liked by 1 person

  52. It seems perfectly reasonable to eat one’s delectable words, although we would have thought that this might be an end of day tasting perhaps reflecting on words that had escaped during the day that needed recovery.

    We are both chuckling at the discovery of your adult son, reading your words on a regular basis and to your own surprise at that! We can totally relate. Every now and again, rare though, one of our four brood will leave a little hint of a visit to our blog, in the comment section. Most of the time, these are incognito visits.

    Coming on the heels of a visit to France with our oldest and his girlfriend, our breakfast words are: enthralled, peregrinate and perambulate…

    Peta and Ben

    Liked by 2 people

    • What a fascinating visit that was, with your oldest/and his girlfriend. Traveling, walking about and being enthralled by the sights AND the couple. Ahhh, life only is enhanced as we age and watch our progeny explore their own adulthood.

      Like

  55. Yum! That was a tasty bowl, Pam. And I thought I liked language. You taught me a thing or ten. Such a creative post.

    My head is usually spinning with words and thoughts and ideas, but I’ve never foind any of them in my cereal bowl. Have a nice end of the year and happy 2019!

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.