Friday, March 2, 2007

My brother's favorite word


My brother, Josh, has a favorite word. I've never seen that topic in a 'get to know you' exercise before. Not many people have a favorite word. Favorites are a part of life. In fact, one of the first questions a stranger might ask another stranger in an attempt to break the ice is, "What's your favorite __________?" Most of us would fill in the blank with something like:
color
music style
movie
place to go on vacation
song
car model
seat cover (leather or cloth - vinyl's pretty much out for everybody)
stroller brand
stroller style
actor or actress
cloud formation
paint finish
t.v. size
bed size
golf club to use 50 feet from the green
blog site
Bible verse
place to relax
t.v. series
item in this list
baby name for a boy (or a girl if you have one of those)
career path
Downhill ski resort
This list could probably go on for quite a long time before anyone would think to add 'word' to the list. Ironically, most of us would probably have a hard time answering that question if it ever was asked. That's not true of my brother though. He does have a favorite word. In fact, his favorite word has been his favorite word for close to 10 years now. Favorite things are usually good ice breakers. They start conversations. But be warned, favorite thing conversations can lead to awkward silences. It's a risky question to ask. What if you don't like the other persons favorite. How are you supposed to respond? What if their favorite thing turns your stomach? Now you have a moral decision to make. Do you lie or fluff through the conversation? Do you respond honestly? Maybe the fact that you were willing to ask the question in the first place, and take the risk means that you are worth getting to know even if you don't like their favorite word. Do you have a favorite word?

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