By SUSAN DROMEY HEETER, Joyful Musings
I recently received a memo that included the words, “Rest assured.”
That little phrase brought me back to a break up letter I’d received several decades ago where the line, “Rest assured, we’ll always be friends” was prominent. Today I muse joyfully on phrases and words that take us back, that prompt memories – good, bad, indifferent. Rest assured, Joyful Musers, you may relate.
“Golly” is a total black and white TV show; Andy Griffith perhaps. “Slacks” are still labeled for the pants’ section of the Salvation Army Thrift Store. Slacks. My sister played on a club softball team in college called, “The Slack Monsters.”
If you’ve heard a parent or grandparent refer to the refrigerator as the “ice box” let’s face it, you understand the reference in Eugene O’Neil’s play, “The Iceman Cometh” and, rest assured, you are probably nearing or past your Medicare eligibility.
If you know how to operate an “ice tray” – the kind with the handle – rest assured, you will always have ice.
If you can manually “roll down” a car window, rest assured, you will not suffer too greatly when the AC stops working.
My friend, Anne, pulled out the line, “For the love of God” which, rest assured, is rarely used by anyone under the age of 40.
That is one of my favorite lines, can make me recall a time I was laughing so hard it was used against me. “For the love of God, Susan, what could possibly be so funny?”
And, for the love of God, I cannot recall. Rest assured, I can still laugh that hard and, literally, for the love of God, delight in that laughter that brings tears to my eyes.
It’s a good time to look at language that brings us back, pushes us forward, allows us to contemplate the good, the bad, the obsolete.
I muse joyfully you’ll share some of your favorite words that invite you to revisit an old boyfriend, a good laugh, an ice tray. As for me? Rest assured, that old boyfriend and I did not end up as friends, but rest assured, it all turned out swell.
Susan Dromey Heeter is a writer from Dover who recently let her hair go au natural white. Writing has been her passion since her English majoring days at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. Dromey Heeter has lived in The Netherlands, Alaska and currently basks in all things New England, including the frigid winters. An avid swimmer, Dromey Heeter’s great passion is to bring back body surfing as most children have no idea how to ride waves without ridiculous boogie boards.
The opinions expressed are those of the writer. InDepthNH.org takes no position on politics, but welcomes diverse opinions. email nancywestnews@gmail.com