Writing my way through the A-to-Z blogging challenge, I’m sharing my thoughts and reflections on a lexicon (vocabulary specific to a certain subject) of unusual, obscure, or simply charming-to-me words. Ludic is defined as “playful, in an aimless way” and that’s my plan for approaching this challenge – keeping my feet on the joy trail and meandering wherever the daily word takes me.
W is for…
wifty (adj) – eccentric, dizzy; impractical, flighty, or unfocused First known usage 1918.
While I think there might be a hint of the pejorative in the above definition, in my ludic lexicon, I’m going with eccentric and think we all should proudly claim our wifty ways.
I’m giving a shout-out of thanks to Arti Jain for inspiring me to choose this word for my post today. (BTW, if you’re not reading her series of reflections on the Japanese concept of Ichigo Ichie, I feel obligated to insist you head over there and discover her fabulous writing and photography. I know you’ll thank me for the heads up). In any case, in her U post one of the things she said was:
”All of us got together this month (thanks to the efforts of the A to Z challenge organisers) to participate in our own unique and unequal ways at an unparalleled time in modern memory to create a unison of reading, writing, commenting, learning, encouraging, laughing, questioning and presenting a post every day despite all the challenges/disruptions and roadblocks in our day to days.”
I love Arti’s description, and I’m willing to go further and declare we’re all definitely eccentric, which is defined as “unconventional and slightly strange.” Wifty we are. All of us. Not only the blogging community, but every being on Earth.
Frankly, I love it. If you’ve hung around me, you’ll know clearly enough that I talk a lot about unity. How I believe that separation consciousness and all the myriad of ways it is and has been, foundational to the way we operate in the world is a paradigm we need to actively and whole-heartedly leave behind. We need to see the oneness of everything. But I’m never talking about some idealized version of cookie-cutter clones. Fair from it. I want us to embrace unity in diversity.
Some of my favorite people in the universe are those that are openly, wildly, deliciously eccentric and totally at peace with it and themselves. It is a gift and a blessing to be in the presence of people who are comfortable in their skins, and because of this, can be open to experiencing the world more widely. They don’t feel the need to be so defended they are rigid; they can appreciate oddities in others and be curious about why those are the “cracks that let the light in.” They don’t feel the need to rush into judgment, and more likely than not, it is precisely because they’ve felt the sting of being judged themselves and know there’s a better way.
I’ve long been curious about eccentricities. I dare say there isn’t one amongst us who hasn’t felt different; hasn’t wondered if we belong. My experience with this was as a very young child, and I suspect that’s true for everyone, although maybe not held so clearly in consciousness. But I wonder if there are two tracks available. Does one choose to become as like the perceived norm as possible and try to stomp out the oddness? Or does one innately understand both the ultimate futility of denying one’s uniqueness and comes to embrace it? I imagine we can view everyone’s life path as one that periodically jumps back and forth on these two tracks. It’s my hope though that we all settle firmly on the I’m-eccentric-and-I-embrace-it track. And my greatest wish is that we do it early on, so we have years and years and years of enjoying ourelves.
I take great delight in thinking of myself – and every other human – as an odditorium, which by definition is a place for displaying oddities. In my mind this has a strong connection to Wunderkammer and Cabinets of Curiosity.
The very first time I saw one of Joseph Cornell’s assemblage boxes it was a most wonderful experience – I was literally electrified with excitement. I thought how perfect it was in its oddness. I remember how curious it was to both glimpse the world through the eyes that saw things that way AND then the immediate accompanying thought that perhaps my eyes saw things in arrangements that no one else did as well.
I became obsessed with the concept of cabinets of wonder in their best sense – places of wonder. Places to launch journeys fueled by curiosity. Places to behold the magic of shiny mirabilia. Collections worthy of treasured cigar boxes. Worthy of being nested in strings of fairy lights. Worth of gasps of awe and giggles of amazement or just simple delight.
Isn’t it fun to think of each of us as living cabinet filled with eccentric wonders? How each of our cabinets is different. Some people embrace a minimalist esthetic, and while I can derive great joy from seeing beauty highlighted by the absence of visual “noise” around it, the truth is I’m a collector. I imagine if you’re peeking into my cabinet, you see I like gathering things that enchant me, arranging them and delighting in them. I’m not focused on hiding my eccentricites. I’m wifty and I’m proud.
What about you? Do you consider yourself wifty? Like the idea that we’re all living cabinets of curiosity? Do you have an actual place with an agglomeration of wonders (as opposed to a draw full of junk)? Share my dedication to unity in diversity? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
One day in fifth grade Cathy Milliken made fun of the pants I wore to school. “How could anyone,” she said with disgust, “Wear pants like that?” I knew then and there that I was utterly uncool. This was one of the best things that ever happened to me. On the day I realized that I was not going to be cool, I became free to be whoever I want to be, and to do whatever I believe is right, regardless of whether or not it will be considered “cool.” When I was teaching middle school I would tell the kids, “I was never cool before and I see no reason to start now!”
I can see you making bumper stickers “Wifty is Nifty.” 😉
Black and White: W for Workshop
I love your tale Anne. I totally understand and have experienced that unbelievably liberating sense of freedom of accepting yourself. Once you have a taste of it, I don’t think there’s ever going back. “Wifty is Nifty” indeed!
I am definitely wifty and think I have left some of my less wifty companions shaking their heads a time or two. Maybe we’re all a bit wifty in certain ways though. Love this word.
I think there’s plenty of wifty available so we can each claim our own patch. 🙂
I think my new website should be the wifty writer, lol.
LOL – perfect!
Oh yes, I agree with the necessity of unity in diversity. The world would be so boring if there wasn’t some wifty persons!
Absolutely!
By your definition of wifty, Deborah, I fit quite well. Moving to Honolulu in 1992 also gave me the opportunity to embrace the idea of unity in diversity as that is a true meaning of the Hawaiian word ‘ohana, all inclusive.
I am enjoying Arti’s posts also.
https://gail-baugniet.blogspot.com
You’ve taught me a beautiful new word and its meaning Gail – thank you!
Embrace unity in diversity – I like that! It takes a certain openness, but the benefits are so rewarding.
Wifty? Me? Not so much.
https://thethreegerbers.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-z-2021-early-bird-catches-worm.html
I think you’re right about the openness Tamara. And that’s certainly something I’d love to see everyone of us embrace more.
I love the words wifty and odditorium. I think each of us needs to fly our freak flags high. What a dull world it would be to be like clones of each other.
“W” song today:
http://tao-talk.com/2021/04/27/a2z-2021-jethro-tull-songs-day-23-the-witches-promise-single/
Yes to freak flags flying unfettered!
Oh yes ! I am 100 percent wifty …. we can mask our oddity but we cannot do away with it in an attempt to belong …. I am what I am, We are what we are
Indeed!
Oh, I think your idea of the Ludic Lexicon for the A to Z challenge is totally awesome! And, yes, I’d have to say I’m a bit wifty. 🌷
Thanks Nancy, and it’s wonderful to meet another wifty kindred.
Unity through diversity — such a commendable ideal. And the word “wifty” is the perfect one for the A to Z Challenge as we near the finish line. Why else do we do it each year? Because we ARE all cabinets of curiosity with an endless collection of stories that need to be let loose — and April/Spring are the best time!
LOL – you’ve summed it up perfectly, Molly!
My oldest daughter has always marched to her own drummer and never cared much what other people thought about her. Peer pressure and conformity are not in her vocabulary. She is happy to be true to who she is. I always admired her confidence at such a young age.
Weekends In Maine
It makes my heart very very happy when kids remain true to their sense of self and are undeterred by outside pressure.
aaah yes wifty here and so too all your readers Deborah. I like wifty people and things and honour eccentricity as a treasured character trait.
Growing up in New Zealand was a bonus because there eccentricity is valued admired and appreciated . Australia proved a huge shock at first and I had to really work at finding wifty – now I live in a community full of brimming cabinet curousosities..
In a fairly traditional farming area my neighbour has 5 camels . Not a sand dune in sight .
Oh, Sandra, that makes me laugh out loud – a neighbor with camels! The New Zealand attitude feels like such a powerful one to be stamped with. I’m thinking perhaps we need ambassadors from there to infiltrate other countries and spread their wisdom.
Wifty! I like it! Is it an adjective? It’s definitely a word to use in my future writing.
I think there is something oddball about all of us.
Today’s A to Z post on Greek myths X Is For Xanthus – read if you like horses!
https://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/2021/04/a-to-z-blogging-challenge-2021-x-is-for.html
It is an adjective, and I’d love to see you claim it in your writing. It would be a rather wifty thing to do. 🙂
Unity in diversity is a good concept. I enjoy meeting unique people, and hearing unique perspectives. And as a lover of shiny things I love all curiosities 😀
Lovely post!
The Multicolored Diary
I just don’t know how it gets any better than that. 🙂
Will keep this short as I’m dancing to a ditty to celebrate this post…call me egoistic–I don’t mind:)
Thank you for the shout out Deborah.
Humbled and yes, planting myself firmly in the wifty wagon with you:)
Oooh, oooh, oooh – I LOVE the image of the wifty wagon!
There is genius in wifty; the impractical and eccentric are creative and can lead to beauty. I am minimalist on the surface but inside my cabinets are a real jumble of eclectic items.
Ah, those hidden depths.
Wifty is my new favorite word. Odditorium as a way of thinking about life on earth is a stellar idea. Great post.
Thanks, Shari. And I’m glad you’re jumping on the “Wifty Wagon” as Arti so delightfully put it.
Completely agree with you there… We all definitely wifty… Each to his own. But, wifty nevertheless. The ones that understand this concept early one get more close to a happy and contended life I guess. And that’s why as you said it’s a pleasure to be around such people… who have embraced their wiftiness and have no qualms about displaying it for others to benefit.
I know, of course, we all must find our own way, but I would truly love to see everyone encouraged and supported to be themselves from earliest days. The less pretzel-bending we do to “fit in,” the more open we can be in accepting and respecting one another and standing joyfully in our own sovereignty.