Cracked took the words right out of my mouth on a trend that needs to die.

A teacher once stood at the front of one of my high school English classes and said “people use profanities when they can’t think of better words to use.” I believed that for a long time, probably before I was more well-read and well-lived. Over time I’ve aged (obviously), I’ve lived, I’ve lost, and I’ve read. Profanity is not reserved for those who aren’t more eloquent. I enjoy a swear word. Do I think it’s overused at times? Yes. Do I detest some words? Yes. Do I think there are things you shouldn’t say at certain times? Yes. At the opera? probably not. Your child’s baseball game? definitely not. being pulled over by the cops? hell no. When you’re being recorded and you’re not an entertainer? most likely a pretty bad idea.

On your website that you founded, built, and pay for? sure.

I’ve always loved Emily Dickinson. She’s the greatest American poet and also America’s most misunderstood poet. People think she was some kind of hermit and vaguely remember her from a high school English class. Obviously, I have opinions. She was a brilliant poet, a keen observer. Her use of punctuation made me feel confident to use it the way I do. She made up words — just like Shakespeare. She wrote in riddles. No one wrote like that. Her style was something new. She only had a few poems published before she died and they were horribly edited — just terrible. After her death, her sister contacted the local college and a professor’s wife started the enormous task of editing and organizing Dickinson’s life’s work. At some point another editor got in the mix and they bastardized her work, making it conform to that of the time. They gave titles to previously untitled poems. Later, the titles would be stripped and numbered for easier reference. It wasn’t until 1981 that Dickinson’s work was published in its original form. Over 100 years after her death. Yes, that’s all from my memory. It’s my only talent.

I saw this graphic the other day and it made me think of a transparency (kids today wouldn’t know the terror of teachers having to make transparencies for overhead machines) I made in college of this same poem. I thought I’d share it with y’all. I’ll give you my analysis: hope gives us so much — strength and spirituality, soul. But it doesn’t require or ask for anything. Just as I have hope for this new year. Hope yields much and wants nothing.

#314 in its entirety

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –
And sore must be the storm –
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –
And on the strangest Sea –
Yet – never – in Extremity,
It asked a crumb – of me.

I thought this year I’d show y’all a few of my favorite things in a series every so often. Here is the first.

This is my favorite song lyric typography that I didn’t do myself.

I had a hard time coming up with a title for the year, 2.day/365 it is.

Welcome to the new year. Be awesome.

Dear Readers, thank you for coming along on my blogging each day for one year. It’s been fun for me. I’ve had a nice response and that’s lovely. I’ll be back tomorrow to start 2019’s edition.

As for now, happy new year and

Ten years ago, I wrote A New Year’s Eve Story, which is one of my most read posts. It’s a good story. And as it turns out, the the story that keeps on giving.

One of my Facebook friends posted a photo from one of our high school’s Sadie Hawkins dances a few weeks back. There were lots of comments, all funny. One of my friends I’ll call her Honey for this post, commented that she was supposed to go to that dance with my former boyfriend at the time, whom I’ll refer to as JD.

Background: JD and I started dating at the beginning of that school year. Another friend I didn’t know very well warned me not to see him, but couldn’t put too fine a point on it, so I continued seeing him. With the benefit of time, I can see why she didn’t. So, JD and I dated all fall. We did normal couple stuff — dinner, movies, hanging out at his house. Once we watched An American Tail, you know, the movie with the Russian mouse. We watched John Hughes movies and had popcorn. Extremely typical teenage relationship. It was never super physical because I didn’t want it to go that far. Which was difficult because he looked like this if he were a teenager. Yes, that’s Jeffrey Dean Morgan and I am aware that his initials are JD, yes that’s purely coincidence.

I should have known our relationship was a goner when he gave me a black and green Koosh ball for Christmas. Who gives their girlfriend a Koosh ball for the biggest holiday of the year? He could have at least given me a pen. What would he have given me for Valentine’s Day? A toy harmonica? A whoopie cushion? The day after Christmas, JD wrecked his car, which lead to the events of the worst New Year’s Eve ever. Short story, we were left at a horrible party by the friends who brought us — it went downhill from there, and two guys named Ray Ray and Tiny (their real names) drove us home. I thought we were going to die. Spoiler alert: we didn’t. I broke up with JD a few days later. Now, this was my BEST high school boyfriend.

Can you imagine my others? Picture Batman’s Rogues Gallery.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago: Honey and I commented back and forth several times, figuring out that we were seeing JD at the same time. Yep. They were in drama together. I was obviously not. And this was why the friend I didn’t know very well warned me about JD.

JD kept Honey on the down-low. He never brought her to his house. Apparently I was the “show” girlfriend. Honey said she couldn’t believe she was “the other woman,” which is hilarious because she is in no way like that. Plus, it was high school. We were all naive and had no idea what other people were made of. Personally, I thought I could fix people. JD came from somewhat of a troubled background, so he was prime for my armchair psychiatrist self.

I was beyond shocked to find out my best high school boyfriend cheated on me, but at least he with a good person who happened to be a friend. And she didn’t know about me. What’s weird is that we both searched for him online and only found traces of places he may live. It also looks like he may have changed his name. Maybe there is more to the story. Or maybe he is and was an undercover spy.

I’m going with that theory.

Update: I knew I forgot something. This is the best part. Honey told me JD was also a drug dealer. Yep. My best boyfriend.

And an update for what everyone what’s to know: what happened to Ray Ray and Tiny? Honey said that a few years later she knew of two people by those names (and who else in Shreveport, LA have those names AND hang out) and they were both working at a local restaurant. I hope Ray Ray and Tiny are doing well. Their babies that I met at a baby shower for another friend (I mentioned in the other post) would be 25 by now. How crazy is that?

I ended the old post by saying to say “hi” to Ray Ray and Tiny if you see them, and that’s how I’m ending this one since they were the heroes of that night.

this year sucked.

My attitude going into the new year:

By Emily McDowell

Welcome to my new prized possession with my favorite literary quote.