Heroine with an “E”
Language is fluid. Dictionaries are too. They add new words, deem others archaic, and, especially in smaller editions, remove words as they fall from use. That wave of nostalgia that hits in the late teens and early twenties was strong in me. I hated to see old traditional meanings fade for fleeting substitutes. It felt like a loss of knowledge.
Times change. I still think that an accurate understanding of facts and connections throughout history is important, but I’m glad that the way we view history changes over time, and that is reflected in new words, or new meanings for the old ones. Evolving understanding requires change and includes some loss. But, that’s okay. Some things just need to become fertilizer for the flowers on the wayside.
On the whole, it’s easier for me to move my cheese than it is for most people. I think it’s part of my particular neurodivergence, but that’s another story.
I’m totally cool with pronoun usage that informs nothing of gender about the noun, though I still stumble over “they.” I’d like something to specifically indicate plural or singular. That’s not always obvious from context, and the number of nouns seems like significant information to convey.
I avoided personal use of the word “partner” for some time because of the assumptions some people make, but now I think I actually like it better than “husband” or “wife” in most cases because of the assumptions that others make. The older use of those terms sometimes carries the connotation of ownership, especially for women who were once considered chattel. A partner is what I want. It’s what I have, and it’s what my partner also deserves.
There’s an old gendered word I want to hang on to though, “heroine” with an “e” (not e-less heroin, the illicit opiate, nor the main character of a period British novel), but a female hero. Women are heroes. Sometimes they do it in an ungendered way, and when they do, “hero” is an excellent word. But, at least as often, women are heroes in a uniquely feminine way. We have a word for female heroism and I like to use it. I’d love to see heroine have a renaissance. It’s a good word. It’s a good thing to be. I recommend trying it. See if it works for you.
I’m Starting a New “This Week’s Reading” Post Section
For my own purposes I started a list of books I read this year and later thought to post it. It was a lot of books, though, so actually publishing it seemed somewhat competitive or braggy, which is not where I want to be. Then I received an email that had a “This Weeks Reading” section down near the closing. It’s a regular email and the section has always been there. It’s really rather common, but this week when seeing it there, I realized it was the solution. I thought “Yeah, that’s the way to do it”. So, I will. There won’t be a critique or a review. Here’s a list of places to see those. I may, or may not say a few words about what I found most useful, important or entertaining about the book(s). So, here goes.
This Week’s Reading
Be Water, My Friend by Shannon Lee. Bruce Lee’s daughter writes about his life and philosophy.
There is martial art in this book, of course. You couldn’t write about the pre-eminent martial arts icon without it, but it’s not the point of the book. Reading it this week was good timing. There were some parts that will guide me in having a better week than I otherwise would have.
Until next time, Have a glorious day and we’ll see you on the trail.
