Friday, November 26, 2010

weekword: lacuna

Carmen of Tails of a Biomouse chose a very interesting word this week for the Weekword Challenge.

Dictionary.com:
la·cu·na   /ləˈkyunə/

[luh-kyoo-nuh] –noun, plural -nae  /-ni/ [-nee], -nas.

1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2. Anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3. Botany . an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.





The way Carmen talked about it earlier this week made me consider patterns that holes can create.  Probably because of the celluar references.

The photo is of a piece of saguaro cactus that Honey picked up in his travels in the Southwest many years before I knew him.  The shell I have had since I was a kid. I can't even recall if I picked it up on my family's travels to a various beaches along the east coast every summer of my childhood or if it was a gift, but I have always loved it.

Anyway, it made me think of holes in our lives that keep us from fullfilling our true potential, the things that hold us back, and what we can do to examine what our part in that is. 

So while we gathered for Thanksgiving with family, and cooked our butts off making pies, potatoes etc. for the past few days, this was my undercurrent process.  And it occurred to me that I have self-esteem issues that seem to crop up and prevent me from completing editing my original manuscript, for example.  My most obvious holding back, hole in my life.  If I just finish the edits, then I can move on to the next phase and seek agents and publication.

Without going into the whys of it all, I definitely feel the impetus to knit myself back together whole, and complete what I started.

Thanks, Carmen.

I am next week's weekword person, so come back on Monday to see what I come up with!




13 comments:

  1. The shell is lovely, worthy of keeping for a lifetime. ;o) I am my own worst enemy for certain, but I see holes in life as a good thing...helping perforate the perfection that would be impossible to maintain without reality letting air in or shining a light on it. Good luck editing your manuscript!

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  2. This is a lovely post. Good for you to be knitting it all back together. Nature is such a good example.

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  3. thanks for the thoughts, scribbles and junebug.

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  4. Wow, I'm so glad this week's word hit the spot for you-beautiful pieces of nature to inspire you (I love cholla from the desert!) and hopefully you can make those connections and fill in a few holes for yourself. Thanks again for letting me have cutsies!

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  5. it really was what i needed!

    not cutsies, i was glad to have another week with this one so crazy! ;)

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  6. The piece of saguaro and the abalone shell are beautiful examples for lacuna! I love those. But I also like your connection to the holes in our lives, and I don't think anyone is "whole" - well there's the hole right in that word! Lack of self-esteem - it seems to come up ever so often. Love your idea of knitting yourself together.

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  7. That 'hole' can be considered 'whole' as in 'greater than the sum of its parts' (courtesy, Aristotle). Definitely keep at it, 'knitting' it together to make the whole, so necessary to your sense of self. Great analogy!

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  8. Your photo is beautiful. It makes me want to hold the shell and cactus and look closer. These things really are treasures...
    I was looking through a workbook on creative writing(for kids) recently and I came upon a page that said only this-

    BIG TRUTH
    You have something to say.

    I really like how uplifting and encouraging that sounds and your post made me think of it again. Also, a friend of mine said something like this to me once and it made everything clear and full of hope again.
    " You have so much to say...."

    :) Believe it and then take a deep breath and say(write) your truth.

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  9. thank you maria and justahumblebee.

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  10. Such an interesting take on this week word! I love the shell and the idea of not being whole with the spaces and not living up to our true potential, good take. Can't wait to see what your word will be :)

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  11. your post is so thoughtful - written like a true author! so can you share the topic for your current writing project? or is that like asking someone how much $$$ they make??

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  12. thanks, joye and christine!

    christine, my most complete project, the one i have been primarily focussed on for years is a children's book for midde readers and an overcoming bullying confidence tale. of course that doesn't tell you much....

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