About fifty posts ago, I wrote about a couple of words that I intended to add to my vocabulary. Actually, I never did. It is likely that, at my age, I'm just not going to start using random words that aren't a match for my time tested vocabulary. Yesterday, however, I ran across another new word, that might be a better fit. I decided, it won't hurt to try.
My newly discovered word is EPHEMERA. Just by chance, I encountered some folks from the Ephemera Society. They were very pleasant and seriously interested in the historical exhibits in the museum, where I volunteer. In case, like me, you do not know the definition of EPHEMERA (al), it is...."lasting a short time". That was Webster's explanation. OED uses 4 columns to define the word and it's forms. Way to long. Longer perhaps than a slang phrase or a paper cup. Both of which are EPHEMERA.
At first I thought, well this is very odd. Why are these folks visiting a history museum that boasts about storing and displaying 350,000 World War I Era artifacts? This is old, well preserved stuff. It is definitely not EPHEMERA.
However, in reality, We do have a lot of EPHEMERA at the museum. There are dozens of paper posters, popular for a short time. Battle plans, maps, gas canisters, ammunition, uniforms, etc.,etc.,etc. Temporary items, initially made to be used for a very short period of time, or even destroyed immediately by use. But, these articles are EPHEMERA, that has been kept for over 110 years.
Okay. According to experts (some elementary school teachers of mine) writing, reading and using a new word five times, will store it in my vocabulary. (as in....."Run Spot. Run.") I think I've got it. Do you?
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Good and All-Knowing God. You have shown us that life is a journey of new words and events. Just because we grow old, doesn't stop us from learning. Remind us to keep our minds open to new things. We thank You, for new experiences.
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