The dictionary that ends at "W"

[nisaa]

I've just been on a mad cleaning frenzy. I have had 3 1/2 hours sleep but I just had to start sifting through my stuff to figure out what stays and what goes. A* has been asking me advice about how to throw stuff away. It's made me stop and think. Books I've never opened - out they go, especially if they're the ones I got for cheap in the used section of bookstores. If I can't remember the basic plot of a book, out it goes. But I can not bring myself to part with the poetry books.

I got rid of most of the wedding preparation paper nightmare. We're married, so there. I don't need info on a bridal registry I never used or the addresses of friends who have probably moved since 2000.

It was hard to look at my box of translation resumes and cover letters. I went to school for French to English translation, but I never really tried hard enough to make a living as a translator. Guess it wasn't meant to be.

Four months until we move. I had to start somewhere. The dictionary that ends at "W"? My grandfather gave it to me when I was 10. It says so on the first page. That's one of the oldest things I own. But what good is a large, heavy, falling apart incomplete dictionary? I feel like if I give that away, I'm giving up words and breath. Language is so important to me. But do I schlep it all the way to California? I think I'll leave that to my next cleaning frenzy.

Comments

[cortejo.livejournal.com]

One could endevour to avoid using words that containe the letters 'x', 'y' and 'z' to see how important those letters are to ones current diction and determine the relavence of said reference book before one tosses it out.

Good point.

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

I will figure out how much I use words with those letters.
By the way, do I know you? I know you're a friend of Chiara's - did I meet you at Pennsic last year? Just curious . . .

Re: Good point.

[cortejo.livejournal.com]

You just used the letter 'y' 5 times.

Yes, we met at Pennsic. The short red headed woman who bothered Chiara all war.

Re: Good point.

[nisaa.livejournal.com]

I figured that's who you were! Cool. Thanks for reading!