I coulda been a contender!
I was reading an article recently which referred to someone as a "has-been." As is my habit, I paused to think about the word. (Yes, this definitely tends to slow down my reading speed!)
I'm inured to the vagaries of English at this point, and so the weirdness of pronouncing it "haz-bin" rather than "haz-bean" didn't faze me (note to the world – it really is faze, not "phase," as it so often, and incorrectly, appears). But what did occur to me is that it needs a cousin: will-be.
Has-been is such a negative word. "He used to be somebody but now he's not, he's just a has-been." Wouldn't it be great to hear "will-be" as often (or even more so)? "She's really on the ball, she's a will-be for sure." It's a good personal word to tuck away and use on yourself whenever the need arises. Have six people in a row told you that you don't have what it takes, that you'll never succeed? Just quietly reassure yourself with "I'm a will-be and I'm going to prove it." And once you do, with a little luck, you'll remain a "still-am" for the rest of your career!
- And that's today's word from the bird
