What's the Word Again? Right on the Tip of my Tongue

For all the fact that I can go on an on for pages (frequently without saying a single thing) one of the things I love most about this wonderful world is precision of language.

I love that even the most obscure feelings have words attached to them so that we can bond over those quirky, shared experiences. And I really love when you learn that, say, there is a word in Japanese with no English equivalent specifically to describe sunlight when it is sparkling down through the trees. That image, speakers of Japanese decided all together, was important enough that it needed a word in a dictionary for. That’s fucking cool.

And it makes me think of all the things I wish there was a word for, but I need to write for pages to try to nail instead.

Like…

When you’re two miles from the cave exit, and you’re following a friend, a good diver, maybe a truly great diver who you respect and admire, and they miss a navigational decision, or they get tangled in the line, or just do something generally stupid…

And you step in and help them correct the issue, and as soon as they notice you are assisting them with something they stop moving and accept your help, even if they don’t know what you’re doing, they instantly recognize it as your assistance, and trustingly accept it.

And everyone involved knows that maybe this will be spoken of again, but if it is it will be non-judgemental and constructive, but just as likely it doesn’t need to be, because you are simply two capable divers looking out for one another who sometimes make mistakes and are lucky to have someone there always double-checking you because they care.

The calm, the peace, the security, the joy that comes from that trust and…

Wait… I just described “teamwork” didn’t I? There’s already a word?

Weird.