THE WORD OF THE DAY
def. the doctrine that the world tends to become a better or may be made better by human effort.
SUMMER IS HERE! For some, it has already been underway and for others, it is just getting started. Regardless, this part of the year is where we all make plans and promises yet to once again every year pass them up or just let them slip right on by. We all get caught up in worrying about what is going to happen next and when and where and why...which puts us in these places towards the end of August going "This summer was boooorrrringggg." So why not make a goal and try to achieve it? Strive for something that you know will be a challenge? Something like...a Spelling Bee?
The idea for this post (after it being quite some time since I've been on here..oops) came from the coincidence of my return to the blogger world around the same time of the scheduling of one of my favorite non-athletic events broad casted on the networks of ESPN...
The Scripps National Spelling Bee
For some odd reason that I am still not sure about, I have always been fond of the Scripps National Spelling Bee's. Something about these kids who are 8, 9, and even 10 years younger than me (and smarter) spell words that are arduous and words that cause me to feel vexatious (See what I did there). I remember back in the 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee when Kavya Shivashankar won by spelling the word Laodicean.
Kavya - 2009 Scripps National Spelling Bee Champion
The special thing about Kavya was that she is from my home state of Kansas. It was pretty cool seeing her win. My favorite to win the 2014 Bee is her little sister Vanya (She's a beast = Got 5th last year) But honestly, I'm not really sure what it is, although I did participate in a spelling bee in the fourth grade so maybe that's why. If I recall, I misspelled the word radiant. (switched the i and a) Beesides that point, one of my favorite movies when I was growing up was Akeelah and the Bee, starring the one and only...Keke Palmer. The word Meliorism fits in with this movie quintessentially (Ha)
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| Championship Word - Laodicean |
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| Vanya - 2013 5th Place |
Akeelah strives to reach her goal of winning the national spelling bee by surpassing the odds of her poor elementary school and her community that is full of poverty, gangs and violence. Her power to bring different people together to make a better place is what make this movie special. Her effort to make the world a better place shines throughout the movie and that's something I feel that we all should try and do as well. The smallest acts are just as great as the large ones. For a challenge this summer, try and make the world a better place. Work at putting forth the effort to make amends to your community. Be present in helping others improve our society because it can all make a difference. So the next time you see or hear anything about a spelling bee, think of Akeelah. Think of the girl from the ghetto of Los Angeles who made a difference in the world by spelling. Think of the girl who is equivalent to the definition of pulchritude. So in the mean time...focus on the doctrine of Meliorism...and let the movie tagline speak for itself...
"Changing the world... one word at a time."
Oh...and tune in to ESPN/ESPN2 on Thursday to watch some mad spelling. It will be canonical. Ha
- Caden
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