Incumbent. It’s a silly word, and since it’s election season, we hear it every day! Most of us understand it means a person currently holding an office. But have you ever wondered where incumbent, which can also be an adjective meaning obligatory, comes from?
Incumbent serves as a noun or an adjective. It derives from the Latin verb incumbere, which means “to lie down on.” What does that have to do with holding office? First used in English way back in the 15th century, incumbent named someone who held a paid position in the church. They usually held the office for life, unless certain legal conflicts forced them out of office. So, I guess a responsibility was laid on the incumbent. By the 17th century, incumbent was used to describe a person holding any office, included elected positions.
These days, we use it most often to describe the person already in an office during an election. But we also use it as an adjective with multiple meanings, including
imposed as a duty, obligatory
lying or resting on something else
bent over so as to rest on or touch an underlying surface
Now you know! Over the weekend, when political discussion gets too spicy, wow everyone with your new election vocab knowledge. Thank you, Merriam-Webster!
Are there other election words you’d like to learn more about? I’ve also taken a deep dive into Trial Balloon and Parity.
This past weekend, I had the honor and privilege to officiate the wedding of my best friend’s daughter. I have known the bride since she was a baby, and she’s like a niece to me. Who knew three days could hold so much? I reconnected with old friends, made new ones, and officiated my very first wedding service. I also cheered on newlyweds, cried at speeches, and danced with my kids- oldest son even taught me a few spin moves.
While I marveled at the enthusiasm of youth, as well as the cute figures of the young bridesmaids, I also appreciated what 53 years of life have taught me. Lessons that I have already learned, but need regular reminders about.
First, the superficial.
Weddings require preparedness
Superficial, by the way, comes from the Latin roots super meaning “on top” and facies meaning face or aspect.
First, always pack hair products! I have easy hair – it’s got natural wave and usually only requires some product and a bit of scrunching to look good. However, this weekend, the remnants of Hurricane Helene doused Pennsylvania with rain, which not only wreaked havoc on travel plans, plane schedules, and train routes, but also created brought humid conditions. On the day of the wedding, I started with well defined curls, but by the reception, without the benefit of hair spray and a curling iron, my waves coalesced into a frizzy, thick mushroom. ☹
Second, find COMFORTABLE dress shoes, or better yet, bring cute sneakers to change into. One of the bride’s aunts traded her heels for sparkly silver and green Eagles sneakers during the cocktail hour. And the bride proudly displayed her floral tennis shoes during her dances. The stone dance floor plus no cushion heels brought stinging pain to the balls of my feet, so after the third song, I got rid of my heels and spent the rest of the reception shoeless. Even, to my daughter’s horror, in the bathroom.
Helene also brought chilly temps, and while we ate dinner in a tent with the sides lowered to protect from the wet and the cold, I borrowed a wrap to keep warm. I now have three dressy, yet stylish, wraps saved in my Amazon cart. Everyone should have at least one. Two if you care about friends.
Weddings celebrate love
Weddings aren’t all about appearances, or they shouldn’t be. They celebrate love, and we certainly did this weekend. Most importantly, the love of a couple who met in college and have sustained their relationship through many adversities, including the groom’s long deployments in far away seas. The readings and vows also reminded me of my own precious marriage, now 30 years long, to a man who truly cherishes me and is my life partner.
This event allowed me to reconnect with friends I do not see enough, and found family I will always treasure. Bonus: two of my four adult children also attended, granting us valuable time together. I’ve spent a quarter century building pathways for communication and grace in my immediate family, and moments like this weekend, when we gather in laughter and love, validate the work.
In a world currently tainted by war, natural disasters, and political unrest, it was refreshing to immerse myself, and my people, in love.
Weddings churn up multiple emotions
The Word Nerd needs help with a word. How do you describe the state of overflowing with a multitude of emotions? A few weeks ago, I wrote about ambivalence, which means feeling more than one way about something at the same time. But this is different. Over this wedding weekend, I experienced joy, excitement, and sadness, sometimes all at once. While a wedding offers the opportunity to celebrate love and connection, it can also stir up grief. We miss the people who are not present to share the experience, like grandparents who have passed away and aren’t there to hug the bride and groom. Most tragically, at this wedding, a young woman from the bridal party died earlier this year from breast cancer. She was 24 years old.
Most relevant for me, a resident of Appalachia, I knew that while we danced under fairy lights, people in the southeast were watching their homes and businesses drift away on flood waters. As we dined on salmon and salad, thousands couldn’t access electricity or clean water. Author David Joy summed up the frustration well:
The bride and her father danced to “I Hope You Dance,” the Chris Stapleton version. The lyrics fit the occasion perfectly.
A wedding is one of the rare occasions in life when the people you care about most gather together in joy. Weddings offer the precious opportunity to treasure what truly matters. I’m happy to report, I was fully present. And next time, I’m packing hair spray and sneakers.
Now, who can help me with that word that means holding multiple emotions at once?
Happy Banned Books Week! This week, September 22-28, 2024, the American Library Association (ALA) will lead the country in discussions about book banning. And with good reason. In the past few years, book challenges have grown exponentially, with individual people or groups of people challenging multiple titles at one time. This trend has sparked increased concerns among book lovers. I want to highlight a few of the trends and share a review of a book that has made the top ten banned book list for several years, Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. First, let’s look at some data.
Book banning trends in 2023
Every year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF), a part of the ALA, collects data about book challenges based on reports from librarians and news stories. When a person or group asks for a book to be removed from a collection or classroom, that’s a book challenge. When the material is removed, that’s considered a book ban.
2023 was a significant year for book banning. Persons or organizations targeted 4240 unique titles for removal from libraries! That’s half the number of books in my local middle school library! The number of challenges jumped by 65% over the data from 2023. The increase alone is concerning, but the OIF noted four trends:
Groups challenged multiple titles at once, which is a new, but growing, trend.
There were more challenges filed a public libraries in 2023- an increase of 92%. School libraries and classrooms aren’t the only targets.
Almost half of the challenges were of books that featured LGBTQIA characters and/or themes OR people of color.
There were at least 100 books challenged in 17 states. That’s one third of our country, and includes my home state of Virginia!
A librarian friend shared a copy of Sherman Alexie’s The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian. The YA novel is based on Alexie’s own experience, being born with hydrocephalus and growing up on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Spokane, Washington. I knew it had been challenged frequently over the past few years and decided it was time I learned more about this novel that won the National Book Award for young people’s literature in 2007.
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian has been challenged for several reasons, including profanity, sexually explicit content, and allegations of sexual misconduct by the author. I confirm the book includes frequent swearing, and on more than one occasion, the main character references masturbating. And according to NPR, around 2018, several woman accused the author Sherman Alexie of inappropriate sexual behavior. He publicly responded that “there are women telling the truth” and apologized for hurting people.
Despite the controversial content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is an insightful book that offers thoughtful reflections on the challenges of growing up on an American Indian Reservation and choosing to deviate from what everyone in your culture expects you to do.
What I liked
Arnold, the main character and narrator of Part-Time Indian, endures many challenges. His father drinks too much and disappears on occasion. In fact, alcoholism plagues many of his friends and family on “the rez.” And he was born with hydrocephalus, which caused seizures and made his head big. As he says in the opening chapter,
My head was so big that little Indian skulls orbited around it. Some of the kids called me Orbit. And other kids just called me Globe. The bullies would pick me up, spin me in circles, put their finger down on my skull, and say, “I want to go there.” So obviously, I looked goofy on the outside, but it was the inside stuff that was the worst.
Arnold has a lot going against him. However, he’s very smart, and very brave. In high school, he decides he wants something more for his life. He transfers to an all white school in the all white town of Reardon so he can get a better education. Some days, when his dad doesn’t have money for gas or the wherewithal to drive, Arnold hitchhikes from the rez to get to school. His choice to attend Reardon gets him shunned by his Indian tribe and bullied by the white kids at his new school. Despite the obstacles, he persists.
Throughout his trials, Arnold makes astute observations about life and people. Regarding addiction, he says, “There are all kinds of addicts, I guess. We all have pain. And we all look for ways to make the pain go away.” Another time, after a new friend from Reardon drives him home, Arnold says, “If you let people into your life a little bit, they can be pretty amazing.”
After his grandmother dies, Arnold finds very constructive ways to deal with his grief without any support from the adults in his life. Primarily he makes lists- of people who bring him joy, of musicians who play joyous music, of his favorite books. He is a resourceful and observant character, and one I loved reading about.
What I didn’t like
I could have done without the cussing or the sexual commentary, however, I also know some teens use vulgar language. Part Time Indian portrays the life of a Native American teen with unapologetic realism – the dialogue and habits of its characters fit the context.
Word Nerd Recommendation
Despite some objectionable content, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian offers some thoughtful and nuanced observations on the challenges of growing up as a Native American on a reservation. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in learning about understanding people different from themselves and who like a good underdog story. (The book ends well for Arnold. 🙂 )
Have you read The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian? What did you think? Have you read any other books that have been targeted for banning? See my reviews of some other commonly banned and challenged books via the links below.
I’m now old enough for my children to teach me things. But, who are we kidding? A wise person is open to the wisdom of children her entire life! Anyway, recently, one of my sons, who is going through leadership training and is big on introspection, schooled me on the meaning of ambivalence.
When he asked me what it meant, I said being wishy-washy, or non-committal. “That’s what I thought too!” he exclaimed. But neither of us were right. A Word Nerd needs to pay attention to the prefix- ambi .
ambivalence: borrowed from German Ambivalenz, from ambi- + -valenz.
Think about words like ambidextrous, which means able to use BOTH hands skillfully. Ambi comes from Latin roots, ambō, ambae which mean “two of a pair, both.” It was introduced into English around the turn of the 20th century in the the field of psychology.
Ambivalence has a few meanings:
simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action
continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite); uncertainty as to which approach to follow (perhaps this is where my incorrect assumption of “noncommittal” comes from.)
The prefix ambi- means “both,” and the -valent and -valence parts ultimately derive from the Latin verb valēre, meaning “to be strong, be effective, have worth.” Not surprisingly, an ambivalent person is someone who has strong feelings on more than one side of a question or issue.
Now you know. Seems a good word to ponder in this environment of political debate and a time when everyone needs to do a better job of holding more than one idea or feeling at a time! Take “ambivalence” into your weekend and impress someone with your Word Nerd knowledge.
Since 2010, the suicide rate for girls increased by 167%. It increased by 91% for boys. Do you know what also happened around 2010? The proliferation of smart phones.
Some people claim iPhones and Tik Tok will cause the downfall of humanity. Others think the role of smart phones in mental health is overhyped. Whatever your stand, everyone needs to pay more attention to how smart phones are affecting our culture and our health, especially when children are concerned.
I’ve been interested in the relationship between humans and technology for years, but everything came to a head this summer when Governor Glenn Youngkin of Virginia issued Executive Order 33, which has direct bearing on my role as a school board member. The order said:
“Creating a cell phone-free education environment in public schools is not only a prudent measure but an essential one to promote a healthier and more focused educational environment where every child is free to learn.”
The Virginia Department of Education held listening sessions around the state to gather feedback from parents, teachers, administrators, and public officials about the best way to pursue Cell Phone Free Education. I attended a session in Abingdon, Virginia, and early in the conversation, people mentioned a book by Jonathan Haidt called The Anxious Generation. Administrators and school boards were reading it. People quoted disturbing statistics, like the ones above.
I downloaded the audio book and started listening on the drive home. Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist, has some interesting data and theories about the affect of smart phones on children, and I think his book is worth your time, especially if you are a parent or teacher.
Premise
Haidt breaks The Anxious Generation into four parts. First, he presents LOTS of data about teen mental health trends over the past few decades. In Part Two, he discusses the decline of what he calls “Play Based Childhood.” Haidt claims that older generations had much more freedom to interact in the real world, which helped them develop better social and coping skills. In the late 1980s and 1990s, parenting became more restrictive, and children’s interactions in the real world were much more limited and structured.
In Part Three, Haidt describes “The Great Rewiring” or, the rise in a Phone Based Childhood. He points out four ways phones have affected child development, including social deprivation, sleep deprivation, attention fragmentation, and addiction.
Finally, in Part Four, Haidt offers solutions for addressing the problematic issues our culture faces, and he stresses the need for a collective, holistic response. His suggestions are challenging and thought provoking.
What I like
I appreciate how much data Haidt includes in The Anxious Generation. He even has a website that includes links to Google Docs that are continuously updated with data and notes. His approach is logical, and he does address some arguments against his stance.
The Anxious Generation explores issues and situations very relevant for our time. I could relate to much of what Haidt shared. My parents did turn me loose outside for hours on end without supervising me when I was a child. I walked to friend’s houses and had lots of interactions with adults other than my parents to make my way through Girl Scout meetings, sports practices, and time with friends. I cannot deny my children had less freedom and more structure growing up. And now I wonder how that has affected their development.
The relevance of The Anxious Generation makes it a compelling read, and one that inspired me to think a lot about my relationship with technology and how my children have come to manage their use of smart phones. (Currently, one is considering getting a phone that doesn’t have internet access. Another often leaves his behind and actively fights phone addiction.)
What I don’t like
Haidt’s suggestions are at times unrealistically optimistic. He spends a lot of Part Four discussing “Collective Action for a Healthier Childhood,” breaking down tasks for parents, schools, and governments. His ideas are definitely worth pursuing, especially the importance of educating parents, children, and policy makers about the dangers of excessive phone use. However, some of his ideas didn’t seem logistically possible, especially in our litigious society. He acknowledges he’s calling for drastic and fundamental change. It’s going to take a lot of will to get where he wants us to go.
Recommendation
I highly recommend reading The Anxious Generation. Even if data doesn’t directly implicate smart phones for the rise in mental health issues and educational challenges, we all can agree that smart phones are changing us. This is another important read for considering the relationship between humans and technology. I also recommend Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and The Glass Cage by Nicolas Carr.
What do you think about “Cell Phone Free Education?” Have you been affected by changes in your community schools?
I’ve never visited New England, and with good friends summering in Maine and many recommendations to visit Acadia National Park, we decided that family travel this summer should land us in the middle of Mount Desert Island, Maine. (That’s where Acadia is, for those of you, like me until this spring, who don’t know.)
Planning for the trip and finding lodging was super easy. We reserved a great house via Air BNB on the west side of the island, away from the crowds of Bar Harbor. Getting to Maine was more painful. I live in Virginia, a solid 15-hour drive away from Acadia that would include venturing on I-95 through DC, Baltimore and New York. Yuck. Despite my mishaps on the Amtrak this spring, we decided to take the train up to Boston (and squeeze in a tour of another city we’ve never visited) and take a rental car up to Acadia.
No matter how you get there, (many I’ve spoken to fly to Portland, ME) I highly recommend a visit to Acadia. And if you can, take a bike. Here’s why.
View of Bar Harbor, ME from The Loop Road around Acadia National Park
Majestic views
The geography of Maine is different from, but as beautiful as, the mountains of southwest Virginia. Maine boasts smaller mountains, but also tons of trees and a crisp freshness in the air. One morning of our trip, we drove the Loop Road around the island that encompasses most of Acadia National Park, and the views were gorgeous. Along the coast, deep green blue waters of the Atlantic crashed against rocks, while pine trees stretched up toward the blue sky. The variety of textures is breathtaking.
Upon the request of child #4, who loves orcas, we booked a whale watching tour that took us over 50 miles off of the coast. The four-hour adventure was worth the time, money, and mild queasiness. We didn’t spot orcas, but eventually we saw a huge basking shark and several humpback whales splashing their flukes on the surface of the water and showing off with partial breaches. Seeing those giant creatures, and hearing the depth of their blows, filled me with wonder. No pics. I chose to live in the moment.
Cleansing of the mind and spirit
The open air and open space of Acadia cleansed my mind and spirit. The wind rushing through the pines reminded me of water rushing through river rock, clearing debris out of my thoughts. While in Acadia Park, we biked the gravel carriage roads and enjoyed paddling on Long Pond. As I age, I appreciate more and more how time in green, outside, improves my mental health. Acadia was the perfect place for restorative rest.
There are many, many hiking trails in the park. Sadly, we only visited one. Guess we will have to go back!
New adventures
I’m so glad we invested in a trip to this part of the United States, and the family agreed we’d like to return. Preferably, with our own bikes. (How we will get them up there is a problem for another day.) While visiting, we took a bike tour guided by a National Park Ranger. The Ranger offered more education than biking opportunities (Fortunately, Acadia Bike, the rental company we booked with, allowed us to keep our bikes for the rest of the day) but we learned much about the native people who have lived near Acadia for hundreds of years. Our guide pointed out how the development of the park has changed the landscape (for the good and the bad), and how important it is to preserve such a beautiful space.
She posed an interesting question to our group: What can the park service do to maintain public access to this national treasure while still preserving its natural beauty and resources? That is quite a conundrum. I thought the park felt crowded, especially in Bar Harbor and along the Loop Road (which we didn’t visit until 11am), but apparently it wasn’t peak season yet. The park now requires visitors who want to travel to the Cadillac Mountain Summit to purchase a timed admission pass. That’s one way to ease traffic. Island Explorer provides free bus shuttle service (with financial support from LL Bean) around the island. Riders just need to show proof of purchase of a park pass. However, the stops are spread far apart and parking at the stops is limited. We only used the shuttle once because it was too far to walk to a stop.
People should visit Acadia to appreciate natural beauty and relax in nature. However, the millions of visitors to Acadia also deplete resources and bring trash and car exhaust. Maintaining access to parks while protecting nature is a tricky problem for the National Park Service. Our tour group didn’t have any viable solutions, but it’s something I’d like to learn more about.
Word Nerd Recommendations
Maine is gorgeous, and Acadia is worth the trip. I recommend venturing out to hiking trails or bike paths early, as things get crowded after 11am. My son biked the carriage roads all the way down to Jordan Pond, one of the popular destinations in the park. “Too touristy” he declared upon return. HE much preferred Bubble Pond.
