If You’re Happy and You Know It, Say You’re Gay

by Glynis M. Belec

                Lest anyone think I am climbing out of a figurative closet and announcing a gender bender, sorry to disappoint you.  I am gay. Yes. But not of the homosexual variety. Gay, according to my trusty Funk and Wagnall’s Standard College Dictionary means happy and carefree and merry; vibrant and colourful. I try to be a happy soul most of the time so I guess that makes me gay.

                I'm sure a few short weeks ago some sang Deck the Halls and talked about how we don our gay apparel,  Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la…  So you see, we really do know that gay still means happy and colourful, right?

                I'm sure I am going to get myself in trouble somewhere along the lines by griping about how some words, like gay,  manage to evolve over time and before we know it our nice original meanings have been changed around to suit. Speaking of nice, did you know that a nice person – a very long time ago, was someone who was ignorant or unaware?

                And a troll used to mean to either move around [as in fishing] or it was a funny looking creature with big ears and a bad smell - think The Three Billy Goats Gruff. Now it means someone who thoroughly enjoys sending someone into a tailspin on on-line forums or social networks. 

                 Remember when a stream was that little body of water that instilled a feeling of peace and serenity? Now it also can mean that horrid constant flow of emails, Facebook photos, images, tweets. 

                

Spam was the name reserved for that fatty jellied ‘mystery meat’ housed in that special rectangular can with the equally special key attached? Now it means nasty messages or unwanted, unsolicited and irritating email.

 Windows aren't only something you have to clean every now and again. Tweet is not necessarily the sound a bird makes. Text isn't just a heavy book you have to lug from class to class. The list goes on. I feel sorry for people just learning the English language.

                Some might think some of these changes are awful. Others might think that it makes language interesting.  That reminds me. Do you know that something that used to be awful actually meant something wonderful, delightful and amazing? You know - full of awe. Now we have that lovely awesome word that is flashed around all over the place these days instead. Funny how things change. 

Speaking of awesome, I'm thinking about the awesome Word of God. I'm also thinking about how glad I am that that never changes. I know some will argue and shout about how interpretation and false prophets and people who rip people off using the Bible, distort and change what is written. But no matter how people try to drag the Word of God through the mire, it always survives. The Word is relevant and awesome  [as in - it fills me with awe] and as it says in 2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking and correcting and training in righteousness.

                For that, I am a happy [gay] camper.