Most people know what a word means but few ever look at the origin of the words they use. Personally I find the roots of English words to be interesting. It is actually something I've been talking with my Korean students about. I show them pieces of words and their meaning so that they can look at many different words they have never seen and have a good chance of understanding the word is.
It was especially fun when one of them told me about the longest word in English:
Looking at it you go... ugh... WTF? But in pieces?
Pneumono .. Air/Lung (like pneumatic)
Ultra .. Beyond/Extreme (like Ultraviolet)
Micro .. small (like microscope)
scopic .. to look/observe (hmm... like microscope again haha)
silico .. flint/silicon
volcano .. pretty sure you know this one
coni .. dust
-osis .. disease
Put it all to together? You have a lung disease which is caused by ultra small silicon dust.
In short: Even if you haven't seen the word before if you know the roots you can piece together the words meaning.
Which brings me to the word: Companion
A very common word. Everyone knows it is someone you are hanging out with or friend.
But if you look at the roots?
A companion is someone you share bread with. It is a very simple act but sharing food with someone is a basic level of sharing life experiences. It is also something that is becoming more and more uncommon.
Going out for coffee with a friend is a shared experience.
Watching a movie with a friend is a shared experience.
Playing D&D with a group of friends is again a shared experience.
....and shared experiences are powerful. They provide memories, they show camaraderie (latin root camera meaning room... camaraderie... someone you share a room with).
But how about doing that virtually? In an age of Zoom calls and virtual meetings is it the same thing?
The quick answer? No.
I have made friends here on Hive. I have had virtual friends online. My wife of 25 years was someone I actually met by letter in a time before virtual friends were common. There is power in long distance and virtual meetings.
But it doesn't have the same feel. I love my kids and enjoy spending time with them...but it is very different online than in real life. I love my wife and enjoy spending time with her (unless she's in a bad mood or shopping) but virtual interaction just isn't the same.
Shared time, shared space, shared memories make a huge difference.
Remembering a shared sunset, a shared meal, a shared moment when someone had bird poop land on their head, or someone left a birthday cake on top of the car and everyone's reaction when they realized the "thud" they heard was the cake falling off the car as it drove away. (yes these all happened). Those are real, tangible, shared memories that rarely happen online.
Now I'm not saying that shared victories on online games aren't meaningful. I'm not saying that shared laughs in an online chat aren't important.
I'm just saying that physical connection, shared experiences, and being there for a hug or even just a handshake is meaningful and helps people feel connected.
Especially important in an increasingly disconnected world.
As I grow older I'm looking at a future where I know I'm going to become increasingly isolated without a lot of effort. For me it means I'll be looking to volunteer more at the church or local organizations so I can keep connections with real people. I enjoy my Hive interactions and the people I meet here but they just aren't a substitute for real life interaction.
There is a quote I read and it seems appropriate..
“We are more connected than ever, yet loneliness is at an all-time high.” — Mark Manson, Why Modern Society Makes Us More Lonely
So my final thoughts? Have fun meeting people online. Absolutely make connections and friends on Hive. Always remember that its the people in your local community whether it is friends, family, or just the nice person at the bakeshop (literally the person 'com' 'panis') that actually make you feel connected.
But as always, thanks for making it this far and if you feel like sending a reply, well, I always like to get feedback.
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