Let’s see how many words starting with the letter L I can let loose in this lead-in, and shift this losing landscape. (I’ve lost lots of time in the #AtoZChallenge. I’d like to at least land this post later tonight.)
Leave it to me to lag behind for so long.
I’ve not had to learn to labor about lies to myself about why I linger. Is my lateness a lifestyle flaw or lack of preventing leaks? In light of how lonely writing can look, let’s leave well enough alone.
So I’ll limit this lecture and let you in the loop past this lengthy lead-up, and let’s click the link live link below. (I love that I got 37 words from the L list loaded with literature (now 40!)
What are those colorful fish in the movie Life of Pi called?
They’re called dorado, a beautiful, powerful fish of the tropic and subtropic oceans. If you’re remember, Pi fears that Richard Parker, the Bengal with which he’s stuck on a boat, will eat him. As times become dire, a school of flying fish pepper him on the boat.
(We call a school of flying fish a glide, by the way.)
The flying fish represent spontaneous fortune in such a predicament. First, the placate the tiger for a moment; second, they offer Pi the bait needed to land a dorado. (Dorado is Spanish for golden; they’re Mahi Mahi in Hawaii, which means “very powerful.”)
A seminal moment for me was when Pi cried before taking the flying fish’s life. A pacifist and assumed vegetarian, he learns he must do this if he has a chance to survive.
What’s another word for large?
It’s a large list.
Big, great, huge, sizeable, immence, enormous, colossal, mammoth, vast, cosmic, goodly, wide-reaching, far-reaching. Wide-ranging, wide, sweeping, large-scale, macroscale, broad, extensive, comprehensive, exhaustive, wholesale, gargantuan, elephantine, titanic. Mountainous, monstrous, towering, tall, high, lofty, mighty, epic, inordinate, voluminous, unlimited, king-sized, outsized.
Overgrown, considerable, major, cumbersome, unwieldy, jumbo, whopping, thumping, mega, humongous, monster, astronomical, whacking. Wait, what?
So yeah, there are a lot of words. Often, big is enough. But if one of these lands right, it can illustrate what you’re saying even better.
Do you like Britney Spears?
Yes. Not so much in a fanboy way, as a lot of dudes do (I’m more of a Belinda Carlisle and Ingrid Michaelson guy.) And I can’t say a Britney Spears song is in my heart, or even on a favorite playlist.
But I admire her for other reasons.
I’ll be honest here. She’s a physical dynamo. Beautiful, but such a strong, fit, attractive body. I mean that with all respect. Girlfriend takes very good care of herself.
I admire more, though, what she’s made of.
Her slips and turns in life are well-documented. Imagine being a meme during a time your life was hardest. And yet, her spirit appears to win out. She can call out her detractors and flip them the figurative bird, which is as good as the literal kind.
She’s a dynamo not only of body but more so of internal strength. That’s what I get starry-eyed over. Girlfriend takes very good care of her soul.
-30-
A to Z Challenge
A is for A new name for this blog
B is for B is for Bibster, baseball, and a spot by the birdbath #Gratitudeandshit
C is for Cassie Klein, actress and model; an interview for #GirlsRock
D is for Dusting off and writing again
F is for Football questions for Go Ask Daddy
G is for Getting behind a cause
H is for Hayden, headphones, and happy hour #GratitudeAndShit
I is for Inspiration
J is for Johnston — an interview with author and coach Kate Johnston
K is for Katherine Ward, copywriter and grief and loss blogger — a #GirlsRock interview 💔
Just a dad ... 
loved the book and a britney fan for the same reason, i’m rooting for her
She’s allright, isn’t she Beth? I bet she could fare well in a boat with a bengal. Big.
There is a lot going on here. I like the writing. Anytime I can learn and be entertained is a good use of time. A glide you say? Who knew. Thanks.
Not sure I agree on Britney though.
Yeah, sometimes the questions are all over the place, Mark. Thanks for the compliment! I’ve been educated and entertained by these kids since 1996.
Well done on the L lecture in the beginning! Life of Pi made me confused, not because of anything you wrote but because I thought I had read it, but I can’t remember anything from it now… So perhaps I never read it after all, and it was really good to get this reminder/teaser from you!
Thanks! Although it felt pretty disjointed of course. You can only force so many words. Life of Pi is one of those books/movies you can experience in different life stages and see it in different ways.
Nice post. Good points about Brittany Spears.
Belinda Carlisle and the Go-Go’s were the soundtrack of my college years. Brings back so many memories. Weekends In Maine
Lovely! The flying fish in the movie reminded me of fishing off the coast of Key West, near the Dry Tortugas. At night, when we were anchored and had lights around the boat, flying fish were attracted to the lights. Sometimes they’d fly into the boat hull knocking themselves out – we’d grab them with a net and use them for bait. And a few times they flew up and landed on deck! Life of Pi is one of those movies I think I need to watch again. And Britney – thanks for sharing her resilient side. She is definitely one to admire.
Like! If you don’t gve up or stop, you will get to the end, you know.