Dictionary Of Obscure Sorrows
Scanning my RSS blog feed reader this morning, I was stopped in my tracks by the latest blog post on BeyondMeds. “Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows,” is the title of a blog project by graphic designer and filmmaker John Koenig in which he names emotions that otherwise leave us speechless.
If you love words and their meanings as much as I do, you will love this project. There is a beautiful poetic quality to the words described. Here is one such word – parts of which I thought a perfect description for the cancer journey.
nodus tollens
n. the realization that the plot of your life doesn’t make sense to you anymore—that although you thought you were following the arc of the story, you keep finding yourself immersed in passages you don’t understand, that don’t even seem to belong in the same genre—which requires you to go back and reread the chapters you had originally skimmed to get to the good parts, only to learn that all along you were supposed to choose your own adventure.
Image Source: http://www.webdesigncore.com
What a great project; very imaginative, and true
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I love this description, Marie. What a wonderful project – I’ll have to investigate!
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This is a really fascinating project. I also love the phrase and the description especially about thinking the plot of your life not making sense anymore…thinking you know something that perhaps you don’t. Very thought provoking!
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dear marie,
nodus tollens – it’s a good feeling to recognize yourself in those descriptions and the way they are worded., even if it’s bewilderment or confusion of something you just can’t name. I shall have to look further into this project – at this point I think I may even be able to be a contributor!
much love, sent without a scintilla of confusion – I KNOW I love you, marie,
XOXOXOXO,
karen
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Marie this is lovely, thanks for shining a light on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows… it is fabulous!!
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This is just exquisite, Marie. I had a look at the dictionary, and could identify with most of the definitions. I especially liked the “nighthawk” reference, So much more descriptive than Captain Paranoia!!! Much food for thought…..
I was also thinking that a Dictionary of Obscure Delights could also be appealing….. More food for thought.
Thank you so much for sharing this.
xxx
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gorgeous!
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Thank you for sending us to a wonderful place, one I wouldn’t have found on my own. As a literary person I fell in love with the word “vellichor:” “the strange wistfulness of used bookstores, which are somehow infused with the passage of time…”
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Wonderful word Rhona 🙂
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