He Groweτ to be a Frogge, if He Be Nat Eton.
In my desire to find something to write about today, I read an article about writer’s block and depression by Mary Robinette Kowal. In it, she talked about how sometimes depression is misconstrued as writer’s block (something I know all too much about.) She also offered a couple of ideas on how to move past the blocks and start writing again, including this gem:
(If your story is making you) Drowsy — Sorry, this means your story is dull. You are boring yourself. Back up to the last point that you were excited about and try to think of a more dynamic choice to make for the plot. What would be cool and excite you as a reader?
Thus, the Middle English Wikipedia page for “Frog.”
I saw this as a meme on a Facebook group and shared it to my personal page. Then I downloaded the image. Then I made it my desktop wallpaper. I have since read it allowed to myself multiple times a day because it pleases me so damn much.
The geek ys strong withyn hire (The Geek is Strong in Her)
My nerdy past is no secret to anyone who has known me longer than five minutes. From Star Trek to Doctor Who, from Broadway soundtracks to obscure folk music, and from science and history documentaries to Ancient Aliens, when I love something, I love it hard.
I’ve currently been on a history kick, and my drug of choice these days is The History of English Podcast from Kevin Stroud.
This deliciously nerdy podcast traces the history of the English language all the way back to its proto Indo-European roots in glorious detail. (I’m on episode 9, and we haven’t even gotten past prehistoric farmer/herders. Check out these maps on their website!)
You might think the subject of language history is dry, but it’s actually a fascinating exploration into the connections most people of Indo-European descent share, from common word roots to shared histories of conquest and exploration. In fact, I was five episodes in when I realized that, when it all comes down to it, I am actually less interesting than the letter “C.”
It’s All Connected
One of the reasons I love ancient history so much is because it shows how much more we are alike than different. Things that seem so huge, like differences in language and culture, can be traced back to common ancestry. We share a history, so many of us, that is filled with things we can be proud of as well as hard lessons we could all stand to learn. It’s a history replete with conquest and co-operation, colonization and co-habitation. It’s the good, the bad, and the ugly all wrapped up into the words and sounds and syllables we share without even realizing it.
It is in this shared past, I believe, that we can find the seeds for future unity as a species. When we understand, truly understand, that we all come from the same place, that we are all related to each other in a deep and timeless way, then it may become harder to hate. The differences that seem insurmountable fade in comparison to the commonalities we all share.
And if that doesn’t get a person excited, I don’t know what will.
