#word of 2023

[mrskscrochet]

Happy New Year! If you had to choose a power word for the next year to describe yourself, what would it be? I’m still trying to think up mine. Help me come up with some ideas.

#thatcrochetlady #2023 #powerword #wordoftheyear #wordof2023

[kwekstra]

Highlights from the conference room where they nominated contenders for Word of the Year 2023:

• They put Skibidi Toilet on the projector to explain what “skibidi” means.

• Baby Gronk was mentioned.

• We discussed the Rizzler.

• “Cunty” was nominated.

• “Enshittification” was suggested for EVERY category.

• “Blue Check” (like from Twitter) was briefly defined as “Someone who will not Shut The Fuck Up”

• The person writing notes briefly defined babygirl as “referencing [The Speaker]”. He is now being called babygirl in the linguist groupchats.

• MULTIPLE people raised their hand to say “I cannot stress this enough: ‘Babygirl’ refers to a GROWN MAN”

[catchymemes]

via

[mapsontheweb]

Use of “Pop” vs “Coke vs “Soda” to Refer to Sweet Carbonated Beverage in US Over the Years

[prokopetz]

Tumblr 200-Word RPGs 2023

Last November, we did an informal game jam for folks who wanted to write something for Writing Month, but would prefer to write fewer than fifty thousand words of it. You can find the complete list of participants for that event in this post here. There's also an off-Tumblr archive of entries whose authors gave permission for them to be preserved here, if any of those links turn out to be broken.

Last year's collaboration went over well enough that I thought we might dust it off again this year. To be clear, this is just for fun – it's not a curated jam, and nobody's judging winners or handing out prizes..

If you'd like to throw your hat in, just follow these steps:

Step 1: If you're unfamiliar with 200-word RPGs, read a bunch of last year's entries (linked above) or browse the 200 Word RPG Challege archives at https://200wordrpg.github.io/ to get your brain-meats properly configured.

Step 2: Write your own 200-word RPG. If you're not sure whether you have 200 words or not (and with RPGs it can genuinely be difficult to tell!), you can use the word counter at https://200wordrpg.github.io/wordcount to check.

Step 3: Reblog this post and append your 200-word RPG.

Step 4 (optional): Please indicate in your post whether you're okay with having your 200-word RPG archived off-site for posterity – if you don't say anything one way or the other, I'll assume the answer is "no".

(As before, as a courtesy to anyone who's creeping the notes, please restrict non-200-word-RPG commentary to replies and tags until November 2023 is over – let's make the actual games easy to find!)

[candlebel]

I can't cry... I want to cry... I feel so much sorrow...

[evercelle]

( just follow the script. )

[clairenatural]

Dean doesn't like the word "boyfriend." He decides this the second time Cas says it–the first time it was new, shiny, exciting. The second time, he fights the urge to cringe.

It's not the "boy" part. It's not. It would have been, for a long time, but he's dug all that shit up and unpacked all the suitcases. They hold hands in public. They kiss goodbye in front of his coworkers at the garage.

It's just–not enough. Not nearly. Jack comes home from hanging out with his friends and fills Dean on the gossip and his boyfriend and her girlfriend and–that's not them. "Boyfriend" feels like a cheap mockery. Like how demons used to tease.

He's heard "partner." He's heard it from Sam, to Eileen, but he doesn't know how he can stomach it. He's said that word too many times. I'm Agent Tyler and this is my partner, Agent Perry. This is my partner, Agent Page. My partner, Agent Stills. All lies. Sam says he likes it, that he's making it mean something real. Besides, Eileen loves it.

Good for them, Dean thinks. It makes his skin crawl.

So he sticks with “boyfriend” and he shrugs off the funny urge to protest every time Cas says it. It makes him happy, and honestly, it’s not like he has an alternative.

It’s a Sunday when he realizes that somehow, Cas does. They’re at the farmer’s market, like Cas is every weekend, but Dean had picked up weekend shifts and missed the past few. Cas is excited the whole way there, telling Dean about how he’d manage to befriend the local honey vendor in his absence, how she’d invited him to a beginner’s apiarist group she helps run. They beeline (heh) to the honey booth as soon as they get there, and the woman--Judith? Janice?--smiles up at them both, hands Cas a jar of honey like she’d been expecting him, and says “Oh, this must be the husband! I’ve heard so much about you.”

Dean stares at Cas. Cas stares at the honey. Judith/Janice stares at both of them, smile fading as the silence goes on a beat too long. 

Dean clears his throat. “Uh, yeah. The husband, that’s me! Ha ha.” Beside him, Cas relaxes, just barely. In front of him, the woman breathes an audible sigh of relief. “Sorry,” Dean shifts. “Just didn’t, um. Realize I was such a hot topic.” 

The smile he gets is almost sympathetic. “Oh, only good things. Here,” she hands him a business card. “You should also come out to our meeting on Wednesday. Lots of people bring their partners.” She leans in, almost conspiratorial. “Beekeeping can be wonderful for couples.”

It’s at this point that Cas clears his throat and finally looks up from the honey in his hand, evidently giving up hope on escaping this conversation. “Thank you, Janet.” (oh. Janet.) “Dean works late on Wednesdays, but I’m very excited to see you all.” He’s pulling out money as he says this, apparently deciding to just go ahead and end the entire interaction. He hands her the bills, grabs Dean’s hand, and is already moving away from the booth by the time Janet calls “See you Wednesday!” after them.

Cas drags him all the way back to the car without stopping for tomatoes, or Sam's carrots, or the free-range eggs that are way too expensive but Cas buys anyway because you can taste when the hen is well cared-for, Dean (whatever that means). They slide into the car, still not talking, and sit in silence for several long seconds. Dean stares at Cas, who stares out the windshield at the parking lot.

"I can explain," Cas speaks, finally, right as Dean was about to open his mouth and say anything to break the silence.

Dean pauses. Can you? Cause I feel like I missed a few chapters, he thinks.

"I don't work late on Wednesdays," he says instead.

"Oh." Now it's Cas staring at Dean, and Dean staring out at the asphalt.

He turns the keys. He drives them home.

Later, making dinner, Dean rolls the word around in his head. Husband. He's making his husband pasta (It's missing the tomatoes. He's made more with less).

Husband doesn't feel like a costume, like an ill-fitting suit and scratchy tie. It doesn't feel like high school gossip, or a monster trying to hit him where it hurts. It settles in warm in his chest.

It's just the two of them that night, and they're eating in the comfortable silence of the bunker until Dean clears his throat and brings it up. "Why does Janet at the farmer's market think we're married?"

Cas pauses, fork of pasta halfway to his mouth. He puts the fork down and takes a deep breath. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad," Dean hurries to clarify. "It's just that there's usually, uh. Steps, you know. Like a whole....thing."

"I'm aware." Cas sighs. "She assumed, seeing us around - the first time I spoke to her without you, she asked where my husband was. And I..."

"You didn't correct her?"

"...No. I, um." Cas is looking down at his plate again. He picks up the fork, still half-full of pasta, then puts it back down again. "I didn't want to?" He says the end of the sentence like a question but looks back up at Dean and squints just a bit, and Dean knows he's watching for a reaction.

"Uh huh."

"It felt trivial."

"To tell her we're not married?"

"To call you my boyfriend." For the first time, he stumbles over the word.

Dean blinks. "You--" he stops, brain processing too much information to finish that sentence. "Okay." He leans back in his chair. Sighs. Rubs a hand across his eyes and lets it drag down his face. "Okay, listen. I don't like boyfriend either, but we gotta...talk about it."

"We are talking about it. You don't like it either?" Cas leans forward as Dean slumps back, following him across the table.

Dean snorts. "No, man." He shakes his head. "It's been a decade. I've seen you die." Six times. But who's counting.

"I agree." Cas pauses, and then, as if it's the most natural conclusion in the world, "Will you marry me?"

Dean actually laughs at this. "You're asking me that now?"

Cas quirks an eyebrow at him. "I've grown quite fond of calling you my husband at the farmer's market. I'd like to continue."

Dean stares at him in disbelief. It's not how he'd pictured it going, but he also can't think of it going any other way. Slowly, he nods. "Yeah, okay. Let's be husbands."

Across the table, Cas grins at him.

"But we're getting rings," Dean points a finger at him, because something about this is going to be normal.

"If you'd like. Although I already told Janet that you can't wear a ring because of your work at the garage, and I don't wear mine in solidarity."

"Rings," Dean insists, and decides to overlook the rest of that sentence. For now. He stabs his fork into a pile of the pasta. "And let me stop for the damn tomatoes next time."

They get rings and wear them on chains around their necks. Cas puts a beehive on the hill, and there's a small ceremony in the summer - a "vow renewal" to Cas' beekeeping group, who all receive invites attached to little jars of honey. Janet gets the nicest one.

[creatingnikki]

another year is ending and I want you to know that it is okay if you:

have not healed from the things that happened/did not happen from six months ago. just because the year is ending it does not mean your grief is too.

don't have any "fun" NYE plans to ring in the new year. this life is yours to live across days and months and years, and you can celebrate days other than the ones heavily marketed and shoved down your throat to shroud you in severe FOMO.

have no resolutions or goals for 2024 laid out in elaborate lists or shared on social media or with your friends. you are braving through this life trying to do your best every day and hold the fort and so of course you know, deep down you know what is needed from you for you going forward and of course you are going to work in that direction. good luck love.

have not become a "better" version of yourself by any of the tangible or conventional measures. that kind of bettering is mostly to serve others, not yourself.

are not happy with yourself/your life as it is now. you're a work-in-progress, remember? and if you're progressing in a direction you do not like, then it's time to change the blueprints and the strategy.

take time off social media around this time to protect your mental health and whatever little joy you have managed to keep.

don't want to spend too much time reflecting on how this past year went and doing various forms of 2023-wrapped. again, it's your life. you can also revisit this year in memories and pictures and feelings whenever you'd like. it's not like you don't still visit 2012, 2017, and 2022, right?

feel disconnected from your friends, family, lover. I know this is "ideally" a time to be celebrated with your loved ones. but life is not ideal, is it? it's just life. and if right now you are not feeling the love, the joy, or just don't have the headspace or social energy to engage , that's alright.

are finding comfort in simpler things like a TV show from the 90s or that book you first read at sixteen or that slice of strawberry cake or a random post like this you come across.

don't feel hopeful, encouraged, or excited for 2024. given everything that's happened in the last couple of years, on the macro and micro level, it's only natural for you to feel weary as well as wary. when the good things happen, when the healing happens, when things begin working in your favour over time, you will automatically feel all those things. it's okay if until then you choose to be neutral.

[roberrtphilip]

If happiness was a tangible thing, it would be you.

[mychemicalraymance]

a jet-black hotel mirror

[crazyblondelife]

Resolutions, Intentions, Goals and Being Fearless With a Plan

There is much discussion about whether it’s good to make resolutions, and/or set intentions and goals for the new year. Here’s my take…

I remember my mother saying “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. While I think this may be an exaggeration, there is some truth to it. We can intend and resolve to do something all day long, but unless we actually get up and do, it really doesn’t matter.

Setting goals, is just more of the same in my opinion.

What actually needs to happen is this…we must do the inner work on ourselves, realize our worth, seek out our gifts and really love who we are…right where we are. It’s only then that we will have the confidence to accomplish the things we want to accomplish!

Don’t get me wrong…there are very successful people who probably don’t really like who they are. They have power and money and prestige, BUT…are they happy? Do they get up in the morning, excited to start the day? Do they have good relationships with their spouses? Do they have good friends? Most likely, the answer is no. Personally, I want the entire package…great relationships, a business that makes my heart sing, financial abundance and the freedom to do things I want!

When 2022 came to an end, I had a feeling of disappointment that I had to process.

I spent last year doing some deep inner work. I took courses, journaled, studied and really took a deep dive into the why of my life and how I could let go of the past and move forward. This was not an easy process, but I know with certainty that I grew as a person. In many ways, I was fearless, but, looking back, I can still see where I let fear stop me from fully living.

It’s can be difficult to put yourself out there in a big way and I held back to some extent and that’s why I have been feeling disappointed. The word I chose for last year was focus and focus I did. I focused on learning and growing and yes, working. I not only learned about myself, I learned many technical things that have helped me be take full ownership of my business. I think it’s great to delegate and hire people to do things that you don’t love to do, or don’t have time to do, but it’s also good to know how to do those things, just in case the time comes when you need to know. The person that had helped me with my blog for many years, suddenly quit in June of 2022 and I had to scramble to learn how to do some of the things that he had always done. I still have things to learn, but I’m getting there and I’m sure it was a sign that it was time to move out of my comfort zone!

There is always something to be grateful for and in my reflection of the past year, gratitude is what helped me to see my growth and blessings and let go of the disappointment! I made many wonderful memories, and the things I learned last year will help me grow this year!

So…after all of the reflection, I’ve chosen fearless as my word for 2023. Fearless, however, is just a word, much like resolution and intention, so I’ve also chosen to be fearless with a plan. I read a quote years ago and it said…”plan your work and work your plan (I have no idea who said it). Thinking isn’t the same as planning…planning is getting out the calendar, or the white board, or your planner, and actually scheduling things that will move you forward…from day to day and month to month.

Think of yourself as 3 people in one…the planner, the doer and the one who celebrates! The part of you that is the planner, is crucial to making your dream life happen. The doer is the part of you that executes the plan. The doer takes a certain kind of energy and works best with a plan because otherwise, the doer is “busy” for the sake of being busy and that’s wasted energy. I can see where I spent a great deal of time in “doer energy” last year and it was more frustrating than productive. Lastly, don’t forget to include the part of you that takes the time to be grateful, and celebrate what you’ve been able to accomplish!

Now, let’s talk about fear! Fearless is a loaded word, because no matter what, you’ll still feel the fear. I would define fearless and feeling the fear and doing what you need to do in spite of it!

Fear only exists in your mind, but it can stop you from living the life you want to live. Fear keeps you stuck in an endless loop of living the same day, or the same year, over and over again. This does not make for a good life. The only way to push past the fear and do the thing…whatever the thing is for you, is to learn to love yourself. So…you may need to have a year like I had last year. Maybe this is the year you give yourself the gift of coming to terms with your s**t! You know…all of the things that you were conditioned to believe as a child that you’ve believed for way too long. I really do believe that letting go of limiting thoughts is a daily process that involves living consciously. It’s a Journey but it’s definitely one worth starting!

You are important, simply because you are here. You have unique gifts to offer and sharing your gifts is a responsibility!

You can do whatever you want to do if you believe you can, become fearless, make a plan and work your plan. It may not be easy, but it will be worth it! What if…2023 is the year you make it all happen?

[magnus-rhymes-with-swagness]

the whole thing must have been absolutely insane from the squire’s perspective. like imagine you have a crush on someone and for some reason you film yourself secretly trying on his armor except you end up discovering the director is plotting to commit regicide and frame your crush and you don’t even tell anyone about it until one day a scary demon child terrorizes you and she and your crush kidnap you in a stolen car and extort the information out of you and then you give him your phone because it has evidence on it and then it breaks and you never get it back. and the guy was in love with someone else the whole time

[mapsontheweb]

Use of “Pop” vs “Coke vs “Soda” to Refer to Sweet Carbonated Beverage in US Over the Years     

via u/ColorfulImaginati0n

[bartowskis]

In two words, what can you tease for Season 2 [of Andor] for us?

DIEGO LUNA on the red carpet for the 75th Emmy Awards (January 15, 2024)

[woundthatswallows]

excerpt from leonard cohen's 1966 novel beautiful losers, from which buffy sainte marie adapted into her phenomenal song god is alive, magic is afoot