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Name That Thing


Friends,
Names. Funny things, names. They comfort us, giving us the illusion of control. Naming something allows us to put it in a box and somehow tame it. With a name comes a sense of measure, understanding and normalcy. I think names can rob us of something primeval. Imagine a little understood mysterious force of unknown origin accelerating the expansion of the universe and cleaving it apart at the seams. Now imagine dark energy. By giving it a name, you’ve deprived it of mystery and magic and confined it to the mundane. So many incurable diseases, all named to comfort the patients –it has a name, so we must know what to do about it. Heck, the name “disease” itself helps us hope for a cure. Would you rather go to an unspoiled wilderness where uncontacted civilizations still loom large and piranhas can eat you alive or would you rather go to the Amazon? I suppose Prince was onto something. Maybe it’s the donut I ate that’s talking. Then again. maybe it’s that first magical bite into a fluffy pastry that practically melted in my mouth and whose sweetness has elevated my consciousness and made me take issue with our penchant for naming everything. Maybe.
Happy Friday!

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