Wing Eaters
Have you ever heard a song and wished you’d written that song? I experience this feeling in a broad array of creative endeavors. Every time I hear Heroes by David Bowie or Baby Got Back by Sir Mixalot, I wish I’d created that masterpiece. It is rare that we are actually the first and only person to create something. The old cliche of there being nothing new under the sun has haunted inventors and artists for centuries.
Extending the English Language
In my opinion, one of the most rewarding creative triumphs would have to be the act of extending your native language with a new word or figure of speech. William Shakespear is probably the most famous for pushing the envelope of the English language. His contributions have stood the test of time and will likely be around for many years to come.
In recent years, Rich Hall, the comedian, made a name for himself on Not Necessarily the News in part by creating new words which he called Sniglets.
Columnist Dan Savage has added a few words to the English language much to the chagrin of many social conservatives. One of Savage’s most known accomplishments in this arena was the successful conversion of a U. S. Senator’s last name into a very unsavory word.
The Experiment
I would like to solicit the help of the audience in adding my own tiny contribution to the English language. Together, we can spread this word in conversation over the internet and in person until it begins to show up on its own in the conversations of those who know nothing of the experiment. My goals are lofty. I want Wiki, radio, television and print.
The first task is to chose a word. I’m looking for something which might find a place in politics the way “soccer mom” and “NASCAR dad” did in recent years. I have been using a word to describe a certain kind of male or couple in my own circle of friends here in Pensacola, FL. Already, I have occasionally heard the word in conversation from people in the outer rings of my own personal social onion. I’m also fairly certain that I may have used in in conversation with my friend Cheryl in Portland, Oregon. This is a pretty good place to start.
Introducing “Wing Eaters”
Without further delay, allow me to introduce wing eaters. A quick Google search shows that there are a few people using “wingeater” as a handle on some membership sites, but I did not see it being used as an adjective in conversation to describe a person in detail.
Male wing eaters are sports fans, beer drinkers and possibly consumers of chicken wings. The male often wears a baseball cap and shorts. Many wing eater men have either very short hair or are bald and often have a goatee. You will sometimes find them in packs in a bar or restaurant with lots of television sets or paired with the wing eater female. I have seen some wing eater males with tattoos and motorcycles, but I would not describe them as bikers.
Wing eater females are simply any female who successfully pairs with the male and actually enjoys the lifestyle.
I find wing eaters to be very socially versatile mixing well with many other social groups. I have witnessed them hanging out with bikers, goths, wing nuts, swingers and progressives. It is likely that you are quite fond of the wing eaters that you encounter even if you have very little common interests. The term is not intended to be an insult.
Putting the Term Into Circulation
This is where I need your help. Please try to use the term when the opportunity arises. As I mentioned before, I do not wish for wing eater to become an insult. You can also help by sharing the term and this blog post with others. I would be very interested in the situations where you have been able to use the term. Please feel free to leave comments here in order to keep me up to speed.
Measuring the Results
We will measure the results based on the following criteria and events.
- Monthly search for the term on Google. I will post a blog with the results
- The appearance of the term in conversation or media. I will need to hear from you all in order to keep up to date.
- The appearance of a Wiki page for the term.
- Evidence that people begin to identify themselves as wing eaters.
With your help, we can conduct and interesting experiment and put a new term into the language and culture. Don’t forget to keep me posted!
Creative Walking and Driving
Often when I take a walk, my mind goes into creative overdrive. In fact, it is very difficult, if not impossible to control. Popular blogger and author Steve Pavlina has an article called Go for a Presence Walk
on his website. Steve’s article deals mainly with the concept of trying to keep this rush of brain activity under control and practice living in the moment while walking. There are others who have pondered the possible reasons for this phenomenon including this article at WomenFolk.com.
I notice a similar phenomenon while driving and I have heard that many bikers have a similar experience while on the road. While performing live music, I have had very intense experiences especially while singing and playing simultaneously. Could this be a hypnotic experience caused by the cadence of movement and sound and augmented by the visual impact of the passing landscape or lights? Is it possible that breathing plays a role?
We have all most likely had the experience of driving home without incident and with little memory of the details of the drive. It would seem that the human body is well adapted to deal with the task of monitoring the environment while we go on these mental or actual walk abouts. Similar mechanisms exist for keeping us safe while we sleep and dream. The existence of sleepwalking demonstrates that these systems are not completely reliable. Before getting behind the wheel, I have begun to consider my state of mind.
Share Your Experiences with Creative Walk or Driving
I would like to invite comments and discussion based on the personal experience of the reader. Please feel free to provide input on the following items and whatever else you would like to add.
- What experiences have you encountered while walking or driving?
- What other activities have caused a similar phenomenon for you?
- Have you had any safety problems?
- Do you consider this a gift or a curse?
- How do you preserve your creative thoughts at such an inconvenient time?
- Can you share any scientific research or other writing on the topic?