I know less and less every day.
I discovered this week that I didn’t know that the word pronounced “seg-way” meaning “transition” is really spelled “segue.” Whenever I saw “segue” in print, I pronounced it “seeg” and had no idea what it meant.
I probably never would have discovered this fact if I wasn’t alerted to it by WORD underlying my spelling of “segway” in bright red as I typed it on my keyboard.
Well, I thought, if that’s not how you spell it, how is it spelled? WORD did not give me any useful alternative spellings, but suggested “seaway, subway or seaways.”
Fortunately, you can check these things easily on Google. You just search “spelling of segway” and you’ll get a number of answers. (I’m not the only one spelling it wrong!)
Through that process, I learned that segway is the spelling of the product, the very cool Segway Human Transporter. This product name was a clever choice for the inventors, but now it is even more likely that eventually, no one will spell “segue” correctly. Then, at some point, “segway” will become the new preferred spelling.
That’s the way language works. It is always changing as the usage of it changes. Only the old farts keep insisting it must stay the same as it was when they came of age.
I was using the word segue (it’s still hard for me not to pronounce this word “seeg”) in a sentence about transitioning into a new life. it’s the process I’ve been in since Adrian died.
Here’s what I wrote in my journal:
Now that I have classes 2 days a week, it will be harder to follow my usual schedule of painting and art blogs and writing. But that’s OK. The idea is for me to segway into a new life.
I don’t like indecision and ambiguity. I like to plan my work and work my plan. But this segue has not been like that.
I’m trying to be more patient, more open to experimentation and serendipity (which I don’t even believe in).
I’m trying to allow things to happen rather than conducting the symphony myself.
And through this process, I’m learning new things, like how to spell segue.
