Of Words and Wounds

I re-learned a word today.  It's actually one I've known a long time but have pronounced incorrectly pretty much all my life.  The word is 'poignant'.   Learning its correct pronunciation took on an added dimension for me today.  

Poignant is an interesting word with several nuanced meanings:

1.  keenly distressing to the feelings: e.g. poignant regret.

2.  keen or strong in mental appeal:   e.g. a subject of poignant interest.

3.  affecting or moving the emotions:  e.g. a poignant scene.

4.  pungent to the smell:  e.g. poignant cooking odors.

Take definition #1.  I experienced that kind of keen distress today.  Mid afternoon I found myself in a state of shock, covered with blood (wearing church clothes no less) and pretty much unable to function.  The whole fiasco was of my own making.  I take full responsibility for the events that led to having to break up a blood bath dog fight and getting injured in the process.

Definitions #2 came into play shortly thereafter.  It was a poignant concern that my wounds get medical treatment and the sooner the better.  Dog bites are no laughing matter.

Definition #3 has defined the rest of the experience and what follows are some poignant lessons from the day.

1.  Proverbs 27:10b.  Better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.   I was already eternally grateful for the family friend who dropped everything to take me to the ER today. Even while I was still in shock his stories helped give proper perspective to the situation and take my mind off the whole thing.  

2.  The curse of sin is alive and well on this earth.  We've lived with enough shelter and peace in this culture that we find ourselves shocked at the capacity for horror that lies hidden in both our own hearts and the precious animal friends that live on this earth with us.  Men like our friend (see #1) who have been to war are more aware of it and somehow manage to live fruitful productive lives despite having been exposed to that.

3.  God is always in control.  Apparently I lost my watch in the incident. I always thought it only told time but today it protected the most vulnerable part of my arm.  It stopped forever when it stopped a dogs teeth on that part of my wrist. That's a dent dead center in the middle. You can't see it but there's a bit of blood next to number "7" between  the pushed down face and where the crystal used to be.

And how did anything as poignant as the pronunciation of poignant come up in all this?  Honestly I don't remember. It was late on the way home.  That's ok -  it led to some good conversation and despite all the negative poignancy about the day the lessons in the school of hard knocks were learned well,  and the kindness and care from both near and far are deeply felt and will be long appreciated. 


The correct pronunciation of poignant may be heard in this  youtube video.  It's worth learning!