Tagged - Facing the M-Word

Hollyphany from Remedial Rumination tagged me. I will get to that tag in a moment. First, I decided to face my biggest bloggordial fear, the MEME. As most of you know, I hate that word. No one asked me why I hated it, which was good because I didn't really have a good reason. It looked to me like it was just made up and inched its way into this blogger subculture that I found my self in. I hate subcultures, too, although I am constantly finding myself in them. I just think it takes too much nerve to make up a word like that (or like bloggordial, for that matter) just to coyly smile at fellow blog-subculture freaks. People were too easily sucked into it, too. To me, it was just an exercise, not anything worthy of a made-up word like "meme".

Well, like so many other idiots who just form opinions and blabber without investigation, I forged my hatred of the word. Today, something got into me. I actually looked into the word and found it legitimate. Imagine that - I thought I knew everything (maybe I do now). Meme (which is pronounced in a way that makes it rhyme with "theme", stupid me prounounced in my head like "them") was coined by biologist Richard Dawkins back in the '70's. It is attributed to a cultural piece of information that is easily spread to others.

Now that I have faced my fear and only found my own ignorance, I now proclaim that the word "meme" is legitimate and not to be shunned anymore. I hate it no longer, but I still kind of don't like it.

That being stated, the meme that I am addressing today is what "10 things make life grand for me". If it had three more, I could have used it yesterday for Thursday Thirteen which my busy-ness made me blow off this week. Here is today's exercise:

1. One thousand dollars (sorry).
2. Steak, egg and cheese bagels from McD's (a.k.a. "the world's greatest breakfast sandwich").
3. My work environment (I am my own boss and I don't share an office).
4. The unconditional love that I have only found from my dogs and God.
5. The love of a good woman (yeah I know it is #5, but my wife drives me nuts half the time).
6. My mom - as close to unconditional love as I get from a human being.
7. Diet Coke with Lime (when I can get it).
8. Getting lost in fantasy football.
9. Crab Rangoon from Evansville's Yen Ching. You haven't had it till you had it from there!
10. The peace I have with the security of my eternal destination. Not fearing death is invaluable.

I tried to leave off grand things like sunsets on the waterfront, or candlelight dinners. They are universal and cliche'. Of course I could have had a decent TT with those two and say a quiet layer of white on Christmas or something such as that.

Who to tag? I know. I will tag two people I never hear from anymore. Ari, the one who tagged me last time, Laura, from Adventures in Juggling, and Charles from Am I Thinking That? Now, Charles I do hear from some; I just want to know in particular what he thinks. :)

13 comments:

Sayre said...

Ha! I thought of you the other day while shopping for my son's birthday party. I visited the soda aisle (I NEVER go there), and discovered cases of Diet Coke with Lime. Then I wondered if Jeff and his lovely wife might ever drive to north Florida for a vacation - with an empty trailer.

Anonymous said...

See? It wasn't so bad, was it? ...and you came up with a great list! Thanks for playing. ;)

Emily Suess said...

So you and the word "meme" are like a beautiful metaphor for Dwight and Andy from "The Office." You know: Shun! Unshun!

Unknown said...

I saw your comments on hollygl's blog and wanted to check out your blog.
I am glad I did.

Ari said...

Everytime I hear that someone likes a drink with lime in it, I think of that song "Lime in the coconut". The Muppets did that song once. Pure chaos.

And yeah, the Yen Ching restaurants do have the best crab rangoon. I mean, other than my best friend's mother. Ya know, just in case she reads this.

I think I shall do this one. The greatest thing about these types of memes is that you get to see the quirks from each of us. I like quirks.

Ari

Tigger said...

That was a great list.... Sorry that I don't get by much. And thanks for your comments... Tawnya

Jod{i} said...

* As I run to edit my Meme tag from "Holly"...take those sunrise sunsets off...crap now what do I have?

tee hee...great list I love number one!

Laura said...

here you go.
http://adventuresinjuggling.blogspot.com/2007/05/how-grand.html

you can only blame yourself if you are tired of me saying your name after reading this.
thanks for the tag, my friend.

Chris said...

#5 She only drives you crazy 1/2 the time? You'd better hold on to that woman! ha ha ha

Have a Great weekend!
Chris
My Blog

Jeff said...

Sayre: Shoot, my wife was in her hometown this past week and didn't even bring me any of the stuff. Last time I was there with her, I brought back 11 cases. I have one 12 oz can of it left - saving it for a special occasion (like getting more of it).

Holliphany: You don't mind my nick for you, do you? If you do mind, I will stop. It just helps me keep you straight. :) Thanks for tagging me.

Two WRITE hands: Yeah, that's right. FACT: bears like beets.

Jeff said...

Random Magus: Thanks for coming by. I am glad you are glad. I will stop by your blog and check it out.

Ari: They actually used that song in their promotion. Fortunately, I don't see that promotion anymore, lest it be rubbed in my face that I can't get it. I don't think the Yen Ching restaurants are connected. That would be quite a coincidence if they all had great crab rangoon. I will check out your version soon.

Tigger: Hey, good to "see" you. I am glad you are still lurking around.

Jeff said...

Jodi: You are so fun!

Laura: Can I help it if I miss you? I can't help it if you are so charming that I wonder about you. Well, at least you USED to be. ;)

Chris: Yeah, but the half the time she drives me nuts are so potent, that it KEEPS me crazy until I get another dose of her dementia. (only kidding honey). I am so glad she doesn't read this. :)

Anonymous said...

Meme does seem like a much less stupid word now, and that it's like theme makes it less stupid as well. In my head I say it mee-mee. I shall now try to think of it as meem.