As luck would have it...

You know, there are some words I really don't like to say. It all started a year or two ago, when in my studies I discovered just how important the words we use really are. Whatever we say we have, that's what we have. There is power in what we say, in the words we choose, and in how we use them.

And this is the first word I ever chose to tear out of my vocabulary:

Lucky

It wasn't easy, let me tell you. So many people use it very frequently, day in and day out. For me, it wasn't quite so bad, because I really only ever used it in one phrase — but it just so happened to be a phrase I used not infrequently.

The problem with lucky is where it came from.

I like etymology. Always have, really. I like learning things, finding out the roots of things and where they came from. But in studying the word lucky, I found out some things I didn't expect to find.

It's root is actually in a name. You have to go back really far to find it, but lucky actually comes from the name Lucifer.

Yeah, you read that right.

Lucky is derived from the name of the devil.

And really, that's what prompted me (and my family) to stop using it. The word is mostly used in a positive light, in phrases like "good luck" and "you're a lucky guy," when really the word means the opposite of that.

Sure, maybe Lucifer didn't start out evil. We know he didn't, in fact. But that doesn't mean that his name can ever stand for something good, after all that he's done. He's the devil! How can we talk about luck, about being lucky as a good thing, when the word comes from something so evil?

Short version, we can't.

There are some words that we simply shouldn't use, and I believe lucky is one of them. I've torn it from my vocabulary, to the point that I can hardly bring myself to use it in my writing, even when I know it's the word I need. Using it feels wrong, knowing what I know, and I just can't do it.

Not anymore.

[love]

{Rani D.}

p.s. If you still haven't gotten your copy of Cedwig, RAD Writing is currently selling misprinted editions for 75% off! Use code OOPS at the checkout to receive your discount, now through Friday.

p.p.s. If you live in Albuquerque, you should come by and see me this weekend! I'll be at Page 1 Bookstore from 11-1 on Saturday, along with a bunch of other local authors, for their local author fair. Come on out and support small business and local authors — I'd love to see you there, and get a copy of Cedwig into your hands!