Wholesome words lead to wonderful ideas
I’m a fan of puns. In fact, I’ve been called Tony Punderburk by a fellow punster, and I suppose the shoe sometimes fits. I recall, one time back in my full-time musician days, as we were setting up to play for an evening crowd in Denver I made a pun about something. Can’t even remember what it was. But a guy who was helping set up the gear said, “Ooh, a pun! Those are the lowest form of humor.” I immediately replied, “I guess if you leave out dirty words and vulgar jokes about women, different races or ethnic groups, body parts, and bathroom humor…maybe you have a point.” He didn’t have a comeback. And I wondered how using puns or any other humor with wholesome words and ideas could ever be considered “low”.
Just exactly what are wholesome words?
The dictionary describes wholesome like this: conducive to or suggestive of good health and physical well-being: the food is plentiful and very wholesome. OR conducive to or promoting moral well-being: good wholesome fun. So, what’s wrong with wanting wholesome words instead of profanity and vulgarity? The short answer is “Nothing”. Think about it. There are grocery store chains based on wholesome foods. And most everybody would agree it’s better to have wholesome good health and physical well-being. But paths diverge when it comes to moral well-being. Weird.
Why do you suppose most people don’t mind being told what foods are good but hate being told what words and ideas are good? It’s difficult to even get a consensus on what “good” is anymore. These days, it’s whatever is right in your own mind. Trouble with that is…a lot of people have a lot of dastardly things in their own minds.
You can’t go wrong with wholesome words.
If you’re currently of the mindset that nobody can tell you what to say or think, consider trying something different today. Look up a word (or two or three) that you don’t know the meaning to…and discover what it means and where it originated. Then, see what kind of ideas pop into your head. I promise ideas WILL pop into your head. And when something less wholesome pops in there, focus more on your new ideas. Guess what will happen when you do this on a regular basis. You’ll become an idea person. And you’ll be able to rise above the dirty jokes and curse words. You’ll find you no longer need them to feel strong. Your ideas will strengthen you.
Try it today and share your first ideas with me. What have you got to lose…besides bad taste?
Here are some words I shared, a few years back, to get kids interested in writing…
Open Your Head
Open your head.
Pour words right in.
Then shake your head
And let ’em spin.
They’ll bubble up
Like polka dots
Into some bright
And bouncing thoughts.
Just let them float,
And let them grow.
When they’re just right,
You’ll let them go
Live on a page
Where they’ll be read
And poured into
Another head.
© 2013 Tony Funderburk
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