Last night, between bites of Mirabel Plum Ice Cream and White Peach frozen yogurt with whipped cream and toasted almond crunch topping, I had the brilliant idea to begin taping my sons' constant, enervating* fights. I hoped that it might inspire them to desist, to maybe start talking about poets they love, scenes from Fellini movies or Bob Dylan lyrics.
They fought about what the series would be called.
* The word enervating has always intrigued me. It's always sounded like it should suggest excitement or restlessness, maybe not exactly energizing, but something similar. It actually means causing one to feel drained and lacking in energy. Waxing is another intriguing word to me, only as significant in relation to its opposite: waning. In any case, the boys would certainly not enjoy discussing this sort of thing with me -- the curiosity of great words -- but are rather inclined to spewing simple insults at one another, the occasional death wish and punch.
Great idea! Good suggestions!
ReplyDeleteEven from way over here it feels enervating.xo
ReplyDeletePlum! White peach! Whipped cream!...Toasted Almonds! If that isn't Summer in a bowl then I don't know what is. What a luscious birthday treat. I do realize that it might have been a carton and not a bowl from which your delectation was delicately consumed ....
ReplyDeleteI always thought enervating meant it had bubbles...ha!
Have you ever watched Arrested Development? The dad has a series of videos called, "Boyfights". http://arresteddevelopment.wikia.com/wiki/Boyfights
ReplyDeleteBut they're so cute.
ReplyDeleteNice words to consider.... There was a discussion about "verve" the other day over Scrabble :)
ReplyDeleteApparently some of my coworkers are enervating. Good to know.
ReplyDeleteYour boys, it never ends. I watch my two oldest when the get together, they're 31 and 25, and they revert back to children.
For a long time I thought enervating meant something that is annoying, or gets on your nerves. Only within the last few years did I learn otherwise, but I can't seem to change the meaning in my brain or bones.
ReplyDeleteLOL -- I agree, "enervating" is a great word. I'm not taking a position on the title, for fear of perpetuating the fight! :)
ReplyDeleteO boys! Honestly, I miss these kinds of times with my boys. Now it's all politics and more politics.
ReplyDelete"Asshole brother one and the cool kid".
ReplyDeleteExactly my thoughts.
XXX
I actually wrote an essay as an open letter to my daughters after they entirely ruined an evening out the other night with bickering over the most mundane things. I tried to get it published on one site but when it was rejected, I was somewhat relieved because I'm sure that neither of my girls would appreciate my thoughts out there for public consumption. That said, I may hold onto it for a few years and try to publish it when they have a better perspective/sense of humor because, unfortunately for parents everywhere, I'm certain that it will still resonate because children everywhere have an amazing capacity for terrorism. I love your approach, though. If you can't laugh, you might hurt yourself.
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