Diamond Mike Watson's Blog, page 17

Uniphilarsian

My last post was news about the word of the year from Dictionary.com. This word was not trendy, new-tech, or whimsical, as words of the past have been. In fact, the meaning of this word is quite ugly. As the concept slithered into our thoughts, we have inundated google searches with the horrible word- xenophobic.

Today, MIriam-Webster is announcing their current word of the year. It is neither “diamonds,” “cupcakes,” or “umbrellas,” as I had wished. It is the word that was most typed into our google searches.

The word is fascism.

So you do not have to type this into your browser, I am providing the definition here:

Fascism: a political philosophy, movement, or regime that exalts nation and often race above the individual and stands for a centralized autocratic government headed by a dictatorial leader, severe economic and social regimentation, and forcible suppression of opposition.

I have never lived within this mindset and I do not intend to. I want my kids and grandkids to enjoy the same nation in which I have been nurtured. The deeper I look, the more beauty and respect I discover within all races. If one feels differently, may I suggest you eat a meal with someone from a different country. (The International Dinner is a yearly event my wife and I established in 1993.)

I have been thrilled to share my most intimate experiences on social media. Many of you are customers and know I love to design your jewelry. I am also thankful to live in a country where I can express myself in which others may benefit. I have the freedom to make jewelry, to encourage those of all ethnicities to appreciate our mothers and those who are significant in our lives, and to make people smile along the way.

With the help of my friend and master wordsmith @Doug Lowry, we now have a word that means, “‪One who loves, regards, and watches over the unique aspect of every other person‬.” The word is Uniphilarsian. ‪Uni (all) + Phil (love) + Lars- Latin lār ‎(“guardian spirit”) from Etruscan + ian- meaning of or relating to.‬

We soon will be able to give one another a uniphilarsian handshake.  We will experience the diverse flavors of food at uniphilarsian banquets. We will become richer in wisdom, culture, and humor at uniphilarsian gatherings.

2016 is not over. I would like everyone to type the word “uniphilarsian” in their browsers. (Are you prepared to do this one hundred times?) Please help us make this word have a permanent place in our dictionary, in our language, and in our thoughts.

Please share and keep in touch with me at DiamondWatson.com. We each have the power to change the world in a positive way.

Filed under: Amazing Today, FlyUp!, Jewelry, Life Adventures

The 2017 Word of the Year is Uniphilarsian

Lumbersexual, vape, dark web, ad blocker, and selfie. These words or expressions have become popular over the last few years. Our thirst for their meanings have much significance for our future and new age culture. Many words that I was taught as impolite or even vulgar as a child have become mainstream in our elementary schools and on our television screens.

Dictionary.com has become a reliable resource to know the words and thoughts in our minds. It is easy for companies to calculate what words we search for most often on the internet.

In 2014, This company announced the word of the year was “exposure.” That made sense with the dread of the Ebola virus, police shootings, and widespread leaks of our personal information.

In 2015, the beautiful word “identity” was proclaimed the most popular. People were searching for their uniqueness in ethnicity, spirituality, and gender.

The word of 2016, however, should make us all ashamed. The word is “xenophobic.” The word was first used over a hundred years ago and its meaning is ugly. It is defined as “an unreasonable fear or hatred of people from other countries.”

It is no wonder the word has crept back into our world because of Brexit, the talk of banning Muslims into our country, dividing our Mexican neighbors with a wall, and the rhetoric of the president elect.

I am a better human now than I was twenty-five years ago. That is because I have met tens of thousands of families in the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest. These families have come from every corner of the world. They have the same hopes and dreams as myself. They yearn to be acknowledged, they want to fully live their unlimited potential, and they each love and appreciate their mothers. There is intense beauty in ethnic diversity!

If there was any reason for me to be frightened of any family, can someone explain why I have never experienced fear? How many more thousands of families should I meet before I should reasonably be afraid of someone?

Most everyone has a phobia, whether it is darkness, heights, or speaking in front of a large crowd. But the real fear is our ignorance of what we fear. A dark, silent room is quite welcoming when we are tired. A bejeweled insect is beautiful when examined closely. A person from another country can quickly become a best friend when one discovers shared humor or favorite foods.

The only antonyms I could find for xenophobia was fairness, respect, and tolerance. None of these words are the complete opposite of xenophobic. With your help, I would like to invent a word that means, “the intense love and respect of persons from diverse backgrounds.”  Whatever word we agree upon, let’s make it the word of the year for 2017.

I vote for the word, uniphilarsian. With the help of my friend and master wordsmith Doug Lowry, uniphilarsian would translate to, “‪One who loves, regards, and watches over the unique aspect of every other person‬.”  ‪Uni (all) + Phil (love) + Lars- Latin lār ‎(“guardian spirit”) from Etruscan + ian- meaning of or relating to.‬

Please share.

Filed under: Amazing Today, FlyUp!, Life Adventures, Philosophy, Why Mom Deserves A Diamond

The 2017 Word of the Year is “______”

Lumbersexual, vape, dark web, ad blocker, and selfie. These words or expressions have become popular over the last few years. Our thirst for their meanings have much significance for our future and new age culture. Also, many words that I was taught as vulgar as a child have become mainstream in our elementary schools and on our television screens.

Dictionary.com. has become a reliable resource to know the words and thoughts in our minds. It is easy for companies to calculate what words we search for most often on the internet.

In 2014, This company announced the word of the year was “exposure.” That made sense with the dread of the Ebola virus, police shootings, and widespread leaks of our personal information.

In 2015, the beautiful word “identity” was proclaimed the most popular. People were searching for their uniqueness in ethnicity, spirituality, and gender.

The word of 2016, however, should make us all ashamed. The word is “xenophobic.” The word was first used over a hundred years ago and its meaning is ugly. It is defined as “an unreasonable fear or hatred of people from other countries.”

It is no wonder the word has creeped back into our world because of Brexit, the talk of banning Muslims into our country, dividing our Mexican neighbors with a wall, and the rhetoric of the president elect.

I am a better human now than I was twenty-five years ago. That is because I have shaken hands and conversed with tens of thousands of families in the Why Mom Deserves a Diamond contest. These families have come from every corner of the world. They have the same hopes and dreams as myself. They yearn to be acknowledged, they want to fully live their unlimited potential, and they each love and appreciate their mothers. There is intense beauty in ethnic diversity!

If there was any reason for me to be frightened of any family, can someone explain why I have never experienced fear? How many more thousands of families should I meet before I should reasonably be afraid of someone?

Most everyone has a phobia, whether it is darkness, heights, or speaking in front of a large crowd. But the real fear is our ignorance of what we fear. A dark, silent room is quite welcoming when we are tired. A bejeweled insect is beautiful when examined closely. A person from another country can quickly become a best friend when one discovers shared humor or favorite foods.

The only antonyms I could find for xenophobia was fairness, respect, and tolerance. I was not satisfied with any of these words. With your help, I would like to invent a word that means, “the intense love and respect of persons from diverse backgrounds.”

Whatever word we agree upon, let’s make it the word of the year for 2017. If you think of something let me know, and please share.

Filed under: Life Adventures

Words can unleash beauty or terror. The choice is ours

Words have the power to encourage, inspire and heal.

My staff and I have confirmed this from the last 25 years of our mothers contest. Words have tremendous influence when written, and even more so when spoken.

Words can forever transform us. We never forget beautiful words that are spoken to us. It is also hard to forget words that have made us feel sad or inferior. We have tremendous responsibility for what comes from our mouths.

A rhetoric has bombarded our nation for the last several months. You may agree with a corollary that words have the equal power to destroy, depress, and instill anger or even hatred. We must search within ourselves to see if any words have bent us to an uglier and darker side of ourselves.

I am a self-proclaimed expert in understanding the power of words. I have heard tens of thousands of kids proclaim their love, appreciation, and thankfulness to their mothers and to those who are significant in their lives. When words are spoken publicly and with conviction, there is no doubt every heart is positively energized.

To my friends, family, and the elected leader of our nation- be cautious of your words. We are responsible for the beauty or terror that we have the power to unleash. The choice is ours.

To read more about the power of words, please order a copy of my new book published just three days ago. Thank You. https://www.amazon.com/Legend-Why-Mom-Deserves-Diamond/dp/1891665480/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1479079084&sr=1-1&keywords=Legend+of+why+mom+deserves+Watson

Filed under: Amazing Today, Gallery of Diamonds, Life Adventures, Philosophy, Why Mom Deserves A Diamond

The Photo Ribbon Memorial

The Photo Ribbon Memorial.

It was long trip from California to my Indiana High School reunion. The festivity was both surreal and magical and brought many classmates together for the first time in forty years. I had no inhibition of bear-hugging any classmate whom I had formerly offered only a half smile from the dim hallways of the old school.

The reunion celebrated the survival beyond our senior year of 1976. Some classmates shared joyful moments of the past.  Others told tales of achievement and grand kids. Most were happy and appreciative simply for being alive.  It was a ceremony of life lessons blended with renewed hopes and dreams.

Close to the entrance on a table, I noticed the senior photographs of many classmates draped together as a ribbon. I recognized the faces, most of whom I had acknowledged in friendly exchange. They were being honored for their brief lives. I would never have the chance to see them, hug them, or know them more deeply. The thought of my own life flooded into my brain. One day my photo would be strung onto this ribbon.

The next morning I pulled into the driveway of my childhood home on Grantline Road. The old house was bequeathed to me after my parents died and I had previously rented it out after moving to California. Now there was a For-Sale sign in the middle of the yard.

The house was illuminated with cool, September sunshine and dew reflected from the grass. As I stood in the front yard I was transported to my childhood. I remembered jumping off the porch with my friends and running down the hill with a towel that I wore as a super hero cape. I could smell mom’s cornbread and imagined watching family shows from the old tv.  I turned in a circle to observe only vacant homes. The toys I once carried were now rental car keys. The warm cocoa I once drank was now coffee.

It wasn’t until I noticed the wrinkles on my hands that I became aware of the present. Only then did I wake from my slumber and realize I was a fifty-eight year old man.

I thought of the photo ribbon memorial again. Then I understood it was not the length of time we are given or what we have accomplished that is important, but rather the memories we have given others and the people we have inspired.

Goodbye, my old friends. You are never really gone, because your spirit will always live in our hearts. The world is already a better place because you visited it.

 

Filed under: Life Adventures

Kitten in a Box

One day my daughter returned from school when she noticed a young lad in the parking lot of a gas station offering free kittens from a cardboard box. “This one is named…Lola,” the boy searched for a name as he cuddled one of the furry creatures. “She is so lovable and kind,” the boy continued with the smile of a salesman.

Sometimes it is difficult to find homes for unwanted animals. Future expenses may include neutering, vaccines, vacation sheltering, and new furniture if it is clawed. Of course my daughter perceived only a helpless Lola purring for affection.

My daughter carried the mammal home, texting that she was “bringing a surprise.” Lola came into our lives without a known father or a mother who would render kittenhood instruction. She came without food, a bed, a toy, or an instruction manual. Lola did come with a wonderful bonus that I was born without- a name.

And then I wondered if my missing sister ever knew she was once called Debra Kay.  Or was it felt her name was unnecessary to be preserved?  Was there no attempt to record her name in the annals of history if she would be renamed anyhow?

To assimilate our world, humans must name everything. We name tropical storms. We name ever insect, plant, star and constellation. However, the name Debra Kay Price does not exist in the birth records of Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis December 6, 1955.  Was my sister and I like kittens in a box? Did someone predict we would never fulfill our lives with the names we were given?

Although my birthmother referred to me as Jonathan Raymond, my original birth certificate read, “infant.”  I wonder how I would live my name if I was addressed as Jonathan Raymond?  What if my name was Artistic, Joyful, or Fabulous? Would the events of my life be any different if I were named Killer, Switchblade, or Shifty?  And lastly, what would be my destiny if my birth certificate said, “Kitten in a Box?”

We are all born into our world with love. To fully live our unlimited potential we must first know we are loved. The second thing we must have is a name and an identity to live up to.

Filed under: Adoption, Philosophy

The Magical Door Knob

To anyone else, this may be an insignificant bedroom door knob from 1928. To me, it is a magical crystal that holds every wonderful memory as a child. It proudly remains in my old house in New Albany, Indiana, and it’s magic will be bequeathed to the next owner.

I remember the coolness within my tiny grip.  In gradeschool I imagined it to be a glittering diamond. As a teenager I sometimes slammed it in anger. As I matured, I always opened it gently with respect.

I remember the slickness of its glass, the texture of its ridges, and the rattle of its wobble.

Thank you, magical doorknob, for keeping your precious memories inside my heart.

Filed under: Amazing Today, Family Life, Life Adventures

Bathing Angela

 

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For a reason I don’t remember, Angela once bathed at our house. The bathroom was in the hallway that separated the living room and kitchen. I was quietly doing my homework on the couch when I heard the water flow from the faucet. My mind ran For a reason I don’t remember, Angela once bathed at our house. The bathroom was in the hallway that separated the living room and kitchen. I was quietly doing my homework on the couch when I heard the water flow from the faucet. My mind ran uncontrollably. She must now be unclothed, I visualized.

I tiptoed to the bathroom door, made sure I was unnoticed by my parents, and stooped to peer through the small opening of the broken lock. The vapor made it difficult to focus but I beheld her leg. The golden color faded upwards to a lighter cream. Then I saw her leg disappear into the warm water.

I heard the footsteps of mom. My heart drummed from the fear of being noticed and from violating Angela’s privacy. I quickly straightened my posture just before she whisked by into the living room. I again voyeured into the small opening. The steam of the warm water continued to blur her contour. During that cosmic second my imagination filled in all the blanks that I could not really see and my mind captured a priceless painting.

I tiptoed to the bathroom door, made sure I was unnoticed by my parents, and stooped to peer through the small opening of the broken lock. The vapor made it difficult to focus but I beheld her leg. The golden color faded upwards to a lighter cream. Then I saw her leg disappear into the warm water.

I heard mom’s footsteps. My heart drummed from the fear of being noticed and from violating Angela’s privacy. I quickly straightened my posture just before she whisked by into the living room. I again voyeured into the small opening. The steam of the warm water continued to blur her contour. During that cosmic second my imagination filled in all the blanks that I could not see.

That was forty years ago. I do not know where Angela is now. I never did tell her I peeked.

Filed under: Life Adventures, Tales of Imagination

How to Make Money in Music

It was 1981. The money I had saved from my humble guitar instruction business allowed me to buy several instruments. I amassed enough components to assemble a full recording studio in the run down apartment next to our damp basement.

I had no desire to perform at the dank downtown clubs, but rather worked in seclusion, writing the basic skeletons of songs, building layers of verses and choruses and embellishing with other instruments and vocals. I sent four of my best songs to several publishers and record companies.

I received a similar rejection letter from each company. ‘Thank you for thinking of Rhino Records, however at this time…’ or, ‘Because we receive thousands of submissions at Galactic Giraffes, we are sorry that…’.

I felt as insignificant as floating cosmic dust. My tunes were great, I was sure, but not my timing and luck.

A friend called and said a major hardware company wanted a jingle, so the next day we wrote an ear-catching sixty-second spot. When we submitted it the president wrote us a check for our asking price of six hundred dollars. The jingle poured from radios and television stations in Louisville and surrounding areas, several times on the hour, for several months. I even heard it from the radios of passing cars.

Once I came home and heard it on TV. “So, whaddaya think, dad?” I would ask him proudly.

“It’s OK, Mi-kel,” he would say. “Now lemme watch the rest of my news.” Dad never got excited about anything.

Filed under: Life Adventures, Music

Senate Bill 91

The State of Indiana recently passed a bill that allows the release of identifying adoption information to adoptees.

It is called Senate Bill 91.

For over 50 years, the dark “closed records” era of Indiana spanned from 1941-1993. This period banned all adoptees, many being over 75 years old, to see their original birth records.

After July 1, 2018, these adoptees will be able to request this information that might contain their birth names, weight, the time they were born, the hospital of their birth, the names of their birthmother or birthfather, and may contain other medical information and history.

LS 6642

Bill NUMBER: SB 91

Summary of Legislation with Provisions:

(1) Repeals, effective July 1, 2018, provisions applicable to adoptions finalized before January 1, 1994, that prohibit the release of identifying adoption information unless a consent to release the information is on file.

(2) Provides that, beginning July 1, 2018, identifying adoption information may be released unless a nonrelease form is on file, regardless of when the adoption was filed.

(3) Replaces a nonrelease form with a contact preference form.

As a result of this bill, the only way to prevent identifying information from being released to qualifying interested parties for adoptions filed before or after January 1, 1994, is to file a nonrelease form with the Indiana State Department of Health.

Filed under: Adoption, Life Adventures