How Will Your 2025 Begin…

Acronyms are a yellow brick road to somewhere… The question is– where? Why do I have to accept some other guy’s definition? Be held to the letter of their law? Why can’t WTF stand for Welcome to Freedom or Wings to Fly.

My belittling voice is clear: OMG, it’s just a joke. Lighten up.

It crushes me– even inside my own head. I do sarcastic like a badass superhero. But lately there’s this little kid full of wonder who wants a say. She wants her F to be fantastical. Filled with feisty faeries and futuristic fireflies. And there’s this inner rabblerousing rebel who’s sick of being told what to do. She wants her F to fight for freedom.

Truth is– the F bomb offends me. It’s aggressive and assaulting. Overshadows every word with its angry darkness. Leaves me unable to hear anything before or after because it screams for attention like an unloved infant.

Cool girl voice is insistent: Are you kidding. Get over it. It’s just an expression.

I get it, but it lacks nuance and creativity. Feels careless disguised as cool. Wreaks of linguistic laziness. Most importantly it infiltrates our joy. Disconnects us from what we love. WTF funnels through my filters. Tunnels into my brain. Runs a rodeo of won’t and can’t and shouldn’t and hasn’t. Hogties freedom in the name of fun.

Practical protective voice steps in: You are overreacting. What are you going to do– change the world. You need to get a grip.

I don’t want a grip. I’d rather Wander the Forest of my imagination or Widen the Frontier of my understanding than let the F bomb blow up my joy. I don’t want to begin 2025 bracing for the multitude of mayhem. Political strife. Environmental fallout. Digital doom. Human right violations. No doubt WTF#@# is a reasonable response.

But I don’t want to brace myself for catastrophes. Roll my eyes and shake my head. I want to Wake the Force inside me that wonders Where’s the Flow. Be courageous enough to Whisper to Faith when darkness sets in. Be willing to Win the Fight against micromanaging the bejeezus out of our boys.

Everyone will begin 2025 with the same Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The question is Where to Focus…