WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Old Business Wrap-Up: In this blogs beginning Seduction series, I referred to myself and others who read blogs but did not comment, as being called "lurkers" in the blogosphere. I want to highlight the following suggestion.

Hoverers – Claude at "Blogging In Paris" mentioned in a comment that hoverer might be preferable to the lurker term. Chancy at "Driftwood Inspiration" also commented there was a need for a different term than lurker.

I wholeheartedly agree since I believe the language we use is so important as are the nuances in word meanings. I, for one, will be thinking, writing, talking “hoverer” from now on, whenever I have occasion to reference those welcome readers to my blog who are simply exploring the blogosphere as was I only less than a year ago.


Joared – How do you pronounce that?

I learned at PhoneCon ("Time Goes By") that my web name was being said in some really funny strange sounding ways, at least to my ear. We had a few laughs about that. Would love to have had a recording of all the pronunciations. I had no idea others were so perplexed about how to pronounce my name. Some thought my name must have derived from a “Star Trek” character, or I was a real one. Others, I think, privately thought I just couldn’t spell, but they were too kind to say so. How is Joared pronounced?

Let me explain, that in that sudden instant when I decided I wanted to make my first blog comment, I realized I had to put a name there. I didn’t want to be Anonymous – somebody else was using that name. (I know, that’s a bad joke.) As soon as I put my mind to it, I had this sudden burst of creativity, from which a name emerged that seemed quite simple to me, in more ways than one, but it was the best I could do.

I hesitate to release the secret of my web-name-producing “combining system,” but it’s hardly unique to me. Either I release this secret information or I continue to be subjected to name mispronunciations on the next PhoneCon. The process seemed quite simple to me when I put the syllables and words together. Here’s how I did it: Jo a red. I could have used hyphens as was later suggested by another blogger favorite, Cop Car,(blog the same name,) but I didn’t think of that. Besides, I wanted to keep it really short, so I didn’t have to type a lot, plus bloggers and readers welcome a challenge, don’t they? Hyphens would have made it too easy.


Aging Names

What's in a name, is an important question when aging is discussed. The language that's used to describe older people and the nuances in the meanings of the words used are important to our lives. The perceptions of others can be shaped by those words.

One of the tools I was taught as a child with which to cope with those who might choose to harrass me, for one reason or another, was "sticks and stones may break your bones but names can never harm you." That saying probably did stand me in good stead,and may have kept me from acting out physically against those prone to feeding their own inadequacies by calling others names. I have to say, though, names can harm. They also can leave an invisible scar that can last a lifetime.

Names, words that are used to characterize others of any age should be adopted with great care and consideration so as to not infer discreditation of another as a human being. Attitudes toward others are often partially, at the very least, shaped by the words used. Throughout history various groups have been maligned and marginalized with the use of words. Aging people as a group have not been immune.

I feel a personal responsibility to sharpen my senses, attune myself to the nuances of words, to carefully listen to what others say, to be aware when I encounter demeaning words about any group, including aged and older people. I also believe, whenever possible, making others aware of the significance of what they are saying, will gradually serve over time to increase the possibility a more positive view of older Americans will prevail. I would like to believe others are engaged in the same process to bring about change in attitudes in all areas of our culture.