Trina Machacek: Words are wisdom

I enjoy contests. I enter contests sending my hope filled entries out into the world with this thought, “Hey, somebody’s gotta win, might as well be me!” That is how the lottery gets to be worth sooooo much. Apparently, I am not the only one who is thinking that I, we, they will be the winners.

I don’t have the opportunity to join in the fun of the lottery as lotteries go because there is not a lottery in Nevada. Lucky Nevadans, we have the regular type of gambling available. Really, that’s what the lottery is, though — a gamble, like all contests are. Some contests are more than just luck. Some contests are based on skill. Those types of contests are the ones that I feel the most drawn to enter and be part of.

Oh, now don’t get me wrong. Please continue to gamble if that gives you pleasure, and enter the lottery if that heartstopping, ball-watching scene takes you places of your dreams. Don’t for one second think that I enter contests that have any portion of “thon” in them. Marathon, triathlon, at least not any type of sport-a-thon. Would jump at the chance to go for a dance-a-thon, though, as I am the queen of a dance-a-thon in my house every week as I vacuum.

A year or so ago, I entered a writing contest. Imagine that, a writer entering a writing contest! Anyway, this contest was offered by a foundation in Spain, the Fundación César Egido Serrano. Impressed, aren’t ya! It was a Flash Fiction contest where the entrant had to write an entire story, introduction, confrontation and resolution — oh, and it had to have no more than 100 words including the title. Go on, give it a try. It’s a hoot to do and I had a blast doing it. Still don’t know how I did in the contest. It was offered worldwide and there were 43,185 little stories from 172 countries entered and the Fundación is still reading and deciding. Whew! Can you imagine reading 43,185 little stories?

The big thing about this foundation’s contest is that they are trying to promote words. Words that we use to communicate. That’s what got me to thinking today. About words. How they can hurt, heal, entice, infuriate, convey. Amazing, this little medium of the word. Here are a few times a word, a few words or a slew of words have had an effect on me. Or would that be an affect? Nope — the correct way is this: How did the effect of certain words affect me? Cha, cha, cha!

Just like any girl, I remember the first time I was told I was loved. Ah, swoon! As well as I remember telling someone those same feelings back in words. I use “I love you” a lot because I feel love for a ton of people around me and I feel it back, too. That is just the coolest thing about my life. But, yep, a love-ly “but” is pushing its way in here. There is a huge chasm between “I love you” and “I am ‘in’ love with you.” It’s that second one that we spend our lives looking for. Just a few words can make a ton of difference, huh?

I don’t remember uttering my first word, but I do vividly remember the first time I was called a bad word; it started with a “b” and rhymes with ditch. I was in the eighth grade and I still see the girl occasionally. Aargh, I don’t like that she still evokes anger in me. Move on, Trina, it’s just a word!! That’s just it. They aren’t “just words.” They are so much more. I was going to say words are what separates us from animals. Just last week, I was asked if the cows, deer and antelope I recently saw all eating in the same field together communicated in some way. I thought about that and in my Trina mind — trust me, you really don’t want to go in there! In my Trina mind, I decided that yes, yes, they do communicate. They speak animal in the same way we speak human.

Just because we can’t understand animal doesn’t mean they don’t communicate like we do with our words. I mean they love, fight, move, sing, OK, I’m talking outta my hat. Just letting words trip off my tongue so to speak.

Let me leave you with this — words are wisdom, enjoy them. In cow that’s — moo, moo-moo, moo!

Trina lives in Eureka, Nev. Share with her at itybytrina@yahoo.com. Really!