Note: I read all comments and respond to most. --- New posts every 10 to 15 days...except when life decides to get in my way by dropping a log into my pond.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

"K" is for K - an Affinity; a Kinship

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One thing I love about blogging is how much it helps to increase my understanding of words. As I write, I may have a certain word in mind that might be good to use, but I look it up in 3 or 4 sources first, just to be sure it'll say exactly what I want it to. 

Of course, then there's the possibility that a reader may not do the same, i.e. look it up, and just might have a different idea in mind when they read that word. To a certain extent, that's the chance a writer takes. But on the other hand, that's also part of the trust relationship between the one reading and the one writing, i.e. that the words were chosen to the best of that writer's ability in considering his or her audience. But isn't this true of all communications?

Language skills and our use of words should be, I would think, highly respected and guarded, as in protected or preserved. Hard to admit, but integrity in saying what is meant and meaning what one says, is almost a lost art in this day and time. It has become much more commonplace to read between the lines -- almost expected. If authors thought that way as they wrote, we probably wouldn't read books.

So...all of this being said, allow me to share a definition (or two) that I found today for the word, affinity:
  1. A spontaneous or natural liking or sympathy for someone or something, 
  2. A similarity of characteristics suggesting a relationship; a kinship.
I have a definite affinity with the letter K. You may think I say this simply because my name is Kathy. Aahh...true, but it goes much deeper since my given name was actually Mary Kathleen. You see, because my mom's name is Mary, and Junior doesn't work very well for a girl, they chose to shorten my middle name to Kathy, for...uhh...practical reasons?! That's okay. I finally made my own preferences official, causing a strong affinity for the name, M Kathy.

Etching in a Granite Monument
Another strong affinity is with my maiden last name -- Kalkman. It's German, meaning man who works with stone. This holds special interest to me, because my great grandfather started a monument business called Melrose Granite Company. Both my grandfather and my dad worked for Melrose, not as stoneworkers, but as sales reps for the business. That's a paradox to me, which intrigues me, which somehow causes a greater affinity to that name, which begins with...

Then I married Kelly, whose given name was actually Kevin, who has a brother and only sibling named Kerry. Go figure. You would tend to think I must have a thing for K's
 
And to think...I was almost going to write about kites today...of which I have absolutely no known affinity!

7 comments:

Julie Flanders said...

I love this, wonderful to read. I'm sure I would have enjoyed kites as well though! :D Your posts are always a pleasure to read.

I especially loved reading about the Kalkman name, I always find the meaning of names so interesting.

Have a wonderful weekend! :)

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

Such a pretty blog... I know, nothing to do with the letter K, but pretty nevertheless! And happy, too!

Christa said...

Of course I like this post because you are all family to me and I'm the daughter to the Kalkman maiden name... so, I must add that my first name may begin with "Ch" but it does have that "K" sound... It's not just the "K" you have an affinity for, but also the sound of it... heehee. And even your daughter's married name has a "K" sound, and begins with a "C" as well. Ha, fathom that!

Unknown said...

Julie ~ so glad you enjoy my writing...that is so very encouraging, since I haven't published yet :~)

Cathy ~
Welcome to my site and thank you for the compliment...even if it didn't have anything to do with K...lol

Christa ~
Okay...so you're squeezin'...and it's allowed since you're tied in by blood...
BUT, Ch is still not a K even if it sounds like one...except when you translate Christa into Greek...then the Ch becomes a K...but that's it! That's as much as I'm giving you on this. lollol ~~ Mom

Christa said...

Mom, well that's not fair. Guess maybe you would have agreed since you named me, but it appears that you don't. There's a reason why you spelled my name with a Ch instead of a K, so I cannot say I wonder why. So maybe I was stretchin' it a little, or squeezin'.

So you're saying that you don't have an affinity with the sound of K, only the actual letter K?

Talli Roland said...

Hi Kathy!

Sorry it's taken me so long to make it over here! You do indeed have a great affinity with K.

Unknown said...

Keena ~ Thank you for coming by :~)

Talli ~ Glad to see you could make it! Hope you were able to take a peek at the letter "I" since it's all about being a romantic :~)