My Five Favorite Words

Choosing five favorite words turned out to be more challenging than I expected. It is a bit like picking favorite grandchildren—you know you are supposed to, but you also know someone might feel left out. After careful consideration, I settled on these: meticulous (showing great attention to detail), parsimonious (extremely frugal), quizzical (showing mild or amused puzzlement), brouhaha (a noisy, overexcited reaction), and austere (severely simple or stern in manner). Each one has a personality of its own, which made them perfect companions for a short story.

A few weeks ago, I was meticulously practicing my guitar lessons, paying close attention to every note as if my instructor were hiding behind the couch with a clipboard. Just as I reached what I considered an impressive volume, my wife appeared and said, “That last song was way too loud. You’re going to be deaf if you keep it up!”

Now, I try to be parsimonious with criticism—carefully measured and used only when necessary. My wife, however, believes in generous portions. With a slightly quizzical look, I replied, “I only play certain songs loudly because that’s what they demand. Some music just refuses to whisper.”

I thought my response was rather austere—simple, restrained, and not at all argumentative. Certainly nothing that should spark a full-blown brouhaha. So, naturally, I took her advice and quietly returned to playing…though perhaps not quite as quietly as she had in mind.

In all seriousness, I understand that prolonged exposure to loud sound can affect hearing; the evidence for that is well-documented. Still, I believe there is a difference between constant noise and occasional bursts of musical enthusiasm. For me, playing music loudly now and then brings energy, focus, and a certain joy that is hard to duplicate at low volume. It wakes up something inside that would otherwise stay comfortably napping.

So, while I attempted to keep the peace—and the volume somewhat reasonable—I also hold to this simple belief: sometimes loud music is not a problem to solve, but a feeling to celebrate. After all, it may just be the sound of a heart that refuses to keep its joy to itself.