I Learned a New Word - "Anthropomorphic!"

Way back in my primary and secondary school years and on into college, the required list of compositions and term papers seemed downright endless.  I recall having a large, hardcover dictionary at home during the early grades which was followed by a smaller paperback edition when I was in high school.  It seems like there has always been a dictionary in our family bookcase and that’s still true today.  But now I find it much quicker and more convenient to access the Merriam-Webster dictionary and thesaurus online (link HERE) and I often make use of the audio option when confronted with a word I’ve never heard pronounced.  (Just wait.  I really will tie this in to RV travel.)

Some months back, I signed up via email for the Merriam-Webster “Word of the Day.”  I’ve been an avid reader since childhood and have enjoyed writing as a hobby as an adult.  So, I figured that the “word of the Day” wouldn’t hurt and I would, hopefully, learn a thing or two along the way.  I can honestly report that, over the past several months, I have known only about half the words.  Wow!  Definitely not as smart as I thought I was.  (Please be patient.  The RV connection will soon become apparent.)

One day, a couple of weeks ago, yet another word that was new to me popped up in my Inbox – “anthropomorphic.”  Now, if you’re a better “word person” than I am, you’re probably wondering how the word anthropomorphic relates to RV travel.  And, if you have no idea what it means, you’re probably thinking that this word is quite a mouthful.  (I would have to agree.)  Anthropomorphic is defined as “described or thought of as having a human form or human attributes.”

So, let me ask, how many of you have named your car?  Or your truck?  Or your RV?  Or, as in the case of blogger Mike Mills and his wife Sandy, your car and your RV?  Mike and Sandy are full time RVers.  Mike is a delightful writer who blogs about their adventures at “Phannie and Mae” (link HERE).  I’ll bet you can figure out who Phannie and Mae are, can’t you?  The more time I spend reading blogs written by other RVers, the more I think that Alan and I are in the minority when we simply refer to our travel trailers as “the Jayco” and “the Creek Side.”

Do we have to name our Creek Side in order for it to be considered anthropomorphic?

Of course, non-human objects other than cars, trucks and RVs can be considered anthropomorphic.  (If you think it’s hard to say, try typing it!)  How many of us with pets have not attributed any human traits or characteristics to them.  (Very few, I’d bet.)  How many of us talk to our plants?  (True confession:  I don’t have any live plants in the house.  Whether I talk to them or not, they all die.)  How many of us had dolls or stuffed animals that we named and thought of as having human attributes?  I did!  I did!  Actually, I still do.  His name is Luke and he’s the sweetest, most endearing little fox!  Once a Mom, always a Mom – since the kids no longer travel with us, somebody had to take their place.  I found Luke in the New York State Parks store at the State Fair, so he’s certainly a fitting mascot for our road trips and travel adventures.

Luke and I in Oregon last year

 

Luke likes to sit on the truck console when we travel.  He enjoys country music, loves anything chocolate and needs his coffee first thing in the morning.  Do you know what one of the best things about Luke is?  Anytime there’s a disagreement between the driver and the shotgun rider, he just keeps quiet and never takes sides.  That fox is one of the smartest people I know.  (See?  Anthropomorphic!)

All of us need our morning coffee, some more so than others

 

Anthropomorphic.  Did you learn a new word, too?