Word for the Year: Journal exercise

Some people draw cartoons or shapes when they doodle I write words. Sometimes I find a journal prompt and write. This past winter break I wrote this in response to a journal prompt.

The prompt: Your Word of the Year. Select a word that encapsulates your intentions & aspirations for the upcoming year. It could be a feeling, a quality, or a theme. Explore the significance of the chosen word in your life & how it will guide your actions, decisions, and mindset throughout the year.

I closed my eyes and tried to let intentional focus go. With those parameters in the background, what word came to mind?

The word: upright.

And I started writing (actually, started with a bit of quick research).

The Oxford English Dictionary estimates that there are approximately 170,000 words in current use, with an additional 47,000 obsolete words. Yet I'm supposed to choose just one ... How does one choose?

The one word that comes to mind IMMEDIATELY is "upright." Odd choice, right?

Definitions from Oxford Languages

adjective

1. (of a person) setting or standing with the back straight. "an upright posture"

2. (of a person or their behavior) strictly honorable or honest. "an upright member of the community) Synonyms: honest, honorable, upstanding, respectable, reputable, high-minded

adverb

in or into a vertical position. "She was sitting upright in bed"

noun

a post or rod fixed vertically, especially

1. as a structural support. "the stolen uprights of the parapet" Synonyms: column, standard, stanchion, post, pole

2. an upright piano. "a first-class upright that would satisfy an amateur pianist."

Germanic:

Old English -- upriht

Dutch -- oprecht

German -- aufrecht

English -- upright

It means I'm surviving. It means I'm trusted. It does mean something to me to be both of these things.

When I pass someone in the halls at work or greet people in meetings & they ask me how I'm doing, I often reply that I'm "still upright." I may not feel well, but I'[m here. I'm upright. I'm getting stuff done, and you can count on me. There is too much work to do each day but I keep coming back. I keep traying, I'm still upright doing my job to the best of my ability.

The death of my mother, and subsequent journey through the insanity of her financial world at the end of her life, really threw me. I went to work & did my job but then came home & had no energy to deal with household admin or dealing with her trust or even MCPTA or SEIU stuff. But I've continued plugging away at my long "to do" list. I'm not functioning fully, at times, but I'm still upright. Still trying to move forward, still going -- not quitting. How am I doing? I'm still upright.

And i am trusted in my community. People at work do trust me to do a good job & they do trust the guidance & answers i give.

I can't motivate my SEIU peers to actually deal with our piss poor president, but they do trust my take on our situation.

The MCCPTA Ex. Comm., Board, and DA all trust me to build a budget, manage our funds, meet our obligations, follow the rules. And I do all of these things. I was elected & am supported because i have a good reputation. I am trustworthy, and i am reliable (pillar) -- upright. And remining so does guide all of my actions, both in my volunteer work & i my career. This is a guide for me, not just in the coming year but throughout my life.

Reflection on my current situation with SEIU: Regardless of the trials I've encountered at SEIU, regardless of whether I win this Treasurer race, I will remain true to my values. I will maintain my own high ethical standards. I will hope SEIU members continue to see me as upright so I can remain upright in the Treasurer position.