Thought.
Have you ever looked at that word and wondered why a single syllable needs so many letters? We can pronounce it with just four (“thot”), but someone along the way decided it needed an extra “ugh” just for giggles…or perhaps moans. In Spanish, the equivalent word, pensamiento (pen-suh-[MEE-EN]-toe), has even more, but at least it has four syllables to back those letters up. Perhaps early influencers of the English language drew some inspiration from the Spanish word, realizing certain thoughts carry more weight than the attention we sometimes give them.
Many moments in life can make us go “hmmm,” even if just for a second. Like “thought” and other curious words, sometimes we stall over ordinary things that—almost out of nowhere—suddenly strike us in completely unexpected ways. Granted, some thoughts are best kept to ourselves (that’s called wisdom, or at least tact), but what about others? Most certainly, there are times we look back and wish we would have said something while we still had the chance.
Several months ago, I penned a piece called “On Second Thought,” reflecting on the decision to leave my job last year under unusual circumstances. Yes, we all have life challenges, but this one got me thinking: how often do we share our meaningful insights with those dear to us? How often do we inspire one another to contemplate the perplexing “what ifs” of life when they arise? How often do we give voice to things perhaps many of us wonder, but few would bring up in casual conversation?
With the rise of social media, I suppose there are many more competing voices out there now than a few decades ago, so maybe I’m naïve in my musings and these words won’t reach many more eyes than the editors’. Still, if sharing a few “second thoughts” now and then speaks to even one or two people, then the effort is well worth it.
With that in mind, allow me to introduce the inaugural article of a new column called (surprise!) “Second Thoughts.” The intent is to offer thought-provoking perspectives about ideas we may take for granted, or life lessons drawn from seemingly ordinary experiences or glimmers of clarity that come from taking a few seconds to wonder about things we too often don’t give a second thought, but perhaps should.
Whether we agree or not, at least we will have given such second thoughts due consideration while traveling this lifelong journey together. “It’s the thought that counts,” the saying goes, so thank you for entertaining mine. Welcome aboard!
