Today’s A-to-Z blogging challenge is pausing at the letter K. I’ve tasked myself with writing a manifesto of what I believe and hold dear, based on unusual words. And so today I’d like to introduce you to the word kinkle.
Kinkle means a slight kink.
I find the word inordinately delightful and it always makes me smile. I think we’re all kinkly – full of little twists that make us all so perfectly unique, so deliciously eccentric, so absolutely wonderful.
When I first discovered the word for some reason I thought about how there’s pressure, both internal and external, to conform to some prescribed mold of sameness, some socially acceptable form that says we fit in more than we don’t. We’re often taught to feel bad about the ways we’re different and can go to great lengths to hide them. For some reason the image of gingerbread cookie people came to me, all cut out perfectly and decorated the same. But then I thought, well I don’t want to be part of that assembly line. How about if we’re all really peanut butter cookies? You know, the kind where you mark them with a fork putting little hash mark indentations on them. Those are our kinkles – our little wrinkles and kinks of fabulousity that make each one of different and unique. (Unexpected bonus: I have to say as a result of that little mental exercise, I’ve fallen in love with peanut butter cookies. And I have the hips to prove it. Just one of my kinkles.)
I have all kinds of kinkles. I’m extraordinarily introverted; I love hats; I’ve kept dream journals for decades; I don’t drive; plants and stone beings talk to me; I believe in the power of red shoes; I have a Guide who sings to me; I use flower essences every day; I find anything more than small doses of social media overwhelming; I adore old-fashioned flowers like peonies, lilacs, lilies-of-the-valley; I’m directionally dyslexic; I wear bangles inscribed with lines of poetry that I never remove except when going through security check points; I believe the world is filled with beauty; I dislike kale and Kombucha; I’m a slow-moving Kapha dohsa but in my dreams I’m a graceful whirling dervish; I write words on the soles of my feet so I can leave secret messages wherever I walk; I’m convinced on windy days I can fly if only I could find the right place to stand for the wind to catch me; I collect fortunes from cookies and send them off into the world as secret messages; I love apothecary chests and small drawers I can fill with treasures.
I love that we’re all unique and think we should wear our kinkles proudly and celebrate one another unabashedly.
We don’t need to prefer the same things, or believe the same things – in fact bumping up against what is non-preferred helps me define what I do prefer. And that helps me move in the direction of what lights me up. I want that for all of us – to truly allow our lives to be lit by the unique light we hold.
What about you? What kinkles do you celebrate in yourself? Like peanut butter cookies? Have something to declare in the manifesto of you? Do tell – you know I love to hear.
Interesting that you don’t drive. I was just thinking yesterday as I was driving my son to work that I really love it. I do have my own kinkles (but we share the hips one). Love reading about your words!
I love living in a city with good public transportation and a neighborhood with most everything I need within walking distance. I’ll happily leave driving to you Janet, especially since you love it. I do delight in knowing we are all such wonderfully kinkled beings.
I enjoy hearing about your assorted kinkles. I do love peanut butter cookies and I just recently discovered and adapted a recipe so it’s the simplest thing ever! And…it came from making a peanut butter and oat mixture for the outdoor birds. It looked so good I wanted it, too.
1/2 cup peanut butter (chunky or creamy)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1-1/4 cups oats
1/2 tsp baking soda
Cream peanut butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add oats and baking soda and mix well. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased baking sheet, flatten slightly (I leave mine mostly rounded). Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.
They taste almost healthy.
Oh yum Candace – I’ll happily pretend these are healthy too. And I love that you were inspired by birds. That’s a delightful kinkle in itself.
I loved hearing about your kinkles! What a great word. I am especially intrigued by the fact that you write on the soles of your feet to leave secret messages where you go. How divine! I love that!
I’ll have to make a list of my kinkles after I give it some thought…
Great post!
Michele at Angels Bark
Oh I’m so glad you’re going to play along Michele and think about your kinkles. I do hope you’ll share!
I love your kinkles. I share some, like plants and stones talk to me. I’m slightly jealous of your Guide that sings to you. I love flower essences and the old fashioned flowers like peonies. I used to love to drive, but I like it less and less as I age. I actually think Kinkle might be a nice name for a pet…but then again, it might end up being called Kinky, so nevermind about that.
Anyway, thanks for the new word. I’m fairly certain I will use it. I like quirk, too and quirkiness. I also like eccentric. So, it should fit into my vocabulary nicely.
How fun we share some kinkles Mary – kindred kinkles! Here’s to all the quirks, eccentricities and kinkles that make us who we are.
Hahaha! Yes, kindred kinkles. Kindred kinkle kids. 🙂
What a delicious word! I love it 🙂 It is so much nicer to say than other words referring to quirks… 😀
@TarkabarkaHolgy from
The Multicolored Diary
MopDog
It is a delicious delightful word isn’t it?
I love driving. It instills such a feeling of independence and freedom, still.
I love sweets, not a good thing, but enjoying them once in a while is so much fun.
I love watching the birds in the back yard and singing along to the music I play.
I’m shy, an introvert, and yet I love talking about my books in the right setting.
Nice to meet you and you kinks! LOL
Love meeting you and your kinkles too Yolanda.
I drive, but prefer to use public transport if I can. We have a free bus near our home which travels in a circle from the university to the railway station, the beach, the hospital and two shopping centres. I feel so free when I use it. No worries about where to park or time limits. Also now I am a “senior’ I can travel to Sydney on the train (one and a half hours away) for $2.50 return. How good is that?
I used to think introvert was a derogatory term but I think of it now as needing time away from other people to collect thoughts and enjoying one’s own company. I used to dread making conversation when I was younger but now enjoy it up to a point. After a while it becomes all too much effort and I just want to escape and be by myself again. My husband is the same although when with others he becomes an extrovert. We all have our kinkles.
It certainly is wonderful to have good accessible public transit – and how fun you can travel to Sydney for a song.
I think your understanding of the terms introvert and extrovert are quite right – it’s how we recharge our energy. I find it curious that it’s not widely understood that way and wonder how being an introvert earned such a negative connotation. And heaven knows how unhelpful it is to urge introverted kids to get over it – it just leaves them feeling inadequate. We certainly do all have our kinkles.
I’m so glad you stopped by from A to Z. Thank you for the word kinkle and your examples of your kinkles. Made me happy. Let me add to your list of old fashioned flowers — wisteria. For a few years, we lived in southeast Arkansas. Wisteria grows wild there much to the foresters’ chagrin. Pine trees are the crop they grow there and wisteria deforms the trees. But in the spring the pines, beautiful in their own right, are even more beautiful with their dangling jewelry of purple flowers.
And you’ve inspired wonderful comments. Thank you for that, too.
What a fabulous description of wisteria and pine Claudia – makes me want to jump on a plane right now and see if I can catch it in its Arkansas glory. It’s a little challenging to grow here in Chicago where I live, but I have seen some catch-your-breath beautiful ones. They are indeed wonderful.
I’m so happy that’s been the first word I dropped in on on your Manifesto Deborah – I’m gradually catching up on the A2Z- kink le – it sits beautifully in the mouth – a bit fuzzy and giggly. Thanks for inspiring us to celebrate all our wee kinkles. Looking forward to back tracking through the other words now.
Fil
Oh I love your description Fil – it IS a bit fuzzy and giggly in the mouth! So happy you popped by.
As the mother of an introvert I salute your comment that it is unhelpful to urge introverts to get over it. I’ll never forget the advice I read that this is similar to telling someone to stop having green eyes. The helpful thing is to acknowledge it and show them ways to manage it. My daughter now sends me quotes she’s found that support her need to recharge by herself at the end of a challenging day. Love that.
Here’s to celebrating the kinkles. Such a wonderful word. Thank you for introducing me to it. I suspect my children won’t thank you, though. They’ll soon grow tired of me using it so often!
Excellent – just another one of my kinkles.
LOL – I suspect there might be a Kel kinkle or two that your kids wouldn’t mind pointing out.