My Funny Valentine, the Lanuage of Love

It was a dark and stormy night, when I became an acronym challenged, social media, arriviste. I can pick up any accent in a New York minute, and swiftly donned Mrs. Malaprop's mantle to the giddy delight of my daughters. Yes, I thought LOL, Laughing Out Loud, meant Lots Of Love.  My children knew I was out of my league, and enjoyed it so much--they didn't tell me. I wrote to a friend: "I am so sorry to hear you backed your car over our beloved Boomer. You must be devastated. LOL.  Liz"  I was losing friends.  Words like "twisted" and "sick" were whispered about me all over town. Thanks girlies!

Portrait of Boomer on the Left Bank

In another horrible missive to a savvy friend, I wrote: "I had no idea you missed the lake in July, because of your surgery. You were missed. LOL, Liz"  Needless to say, she is not taking my calls.  I really meant to say: "Lots Of Love, not Laughing Out Loud." This should never had happened to me. I was lazy. As a child, I devoured my favorite book of all time: Codes and Secret Writing. 

While garbed as Harriet the Spy, I was feverishly writing secret notes to friends, with lemon juice, and instructing them to hold the paper over their toasters, to burn my private messages onto the page. 

For heavens sake, you think I would bother to learn text acronym speak, but no. My Sister and I had The Hipsters Dictionary, and thought ourselves clever in 1964 that we knew squares were L7's.  Our linguistic coolness was not new. Here are some thoughts for the abbreviated comments we might delete, and should not. Logos, designs and brand concepts that once seemed powerful, are currently ludicrous. If you have ever entertained the symbol of the tiny acorn holding all the secrets of the mighty Oak, just stop. 

To our children, ACORN, as an acronym means: A Completely Obsessive Really Nutty Person. Our romantic symbolism is done, done, done. Don't go there with your brand or logo. They will laugh themselves silly and let you look D-U-M. I swear getting old is like being a redneck.  Now, as the youngsters comment in text speech to us, do not be offended with the word: "Bitc#"

In the 1960's, not to mention current surf speak: "Bitchen" means really cool, fantastic. It was code for Sonofa... It might have been in the hipsters dictionary. We learned it from our California cousins, to my parents dismay. If a commenter says B-I-T-C-H in reply to the question: "I went completely over the top with the new Pantone (Honeysuckle) color of the year, in this hall. What do you think?" 

Basically In The Clear Honey

So different from the very bad, bad B-word, that no woman should ever utter, unless she has to. This is not a rude comment. It is actually completely flattering--primarily, because they think you get the lingo, and secondly, this is a thumbs-up, not the other finger. Who the hell knew?  So my friends,  communication is complicated. Keep the lines of communication open. Happy Valentine's Day to all my new blogger BFFs. My thoughts on Love can be found in this article in Women's Voices for Change.

I am going to Ecuador Tomorrow!

I will be sending you pictures and stories. 

LYKYAMY

Love You Kiss You Already Miss You!