If you ever have a face-to-face conversation with me, it will likely take you all of six minutes to realize I have some very “unique” language and vocabulary.
I use words like “fantastical” on a regular basis. I occasionally throw a “fo-shizzle” in there, although I know it is soooo 2011. I call my three-year-old daughter “My Tiny Human” and have said the phrase “That’s my jam” so much that my friends are now insisting that I change it up and say “That’s my marmalade” or “That’s my jelly.” (I talk more about this on the Army Wife Talk Radio show I recently hosted for AWN. Listen to it here.)
One other slightly unique habit I have with my vocab is to take “normal” words and make them into a verb.
My forever favorite? AMERICA!
Granted, this is not completely my brainchild. I think the movie “The Other Guys” with Will Ferrell made saying “AMERICA!” as an exclamation trendy. But, because I am an overachiever, I take it a step further.
And as an army wife, knowing how to AMERICA! is, in my opinion, a key to resiliency.
So here are a few tips, tricks and suggestions on how to AMERICA! as an army wife:
*Use the word AMERICA! frequently, regardless of context. I think the word America has the potential to be one of the most widely-used and effective words in the English language. Consider the possibilities! Someone asks you how your weekend was? AMERICA! They congratulate you on solving a tough life problem? AMERICA! Finally got your husband’s coffee thermos lid unscrewed two weeks into the deployment? AMERICA! (That last one is completely hypothetical, of course…)
We can also use it in less-than-positive situations, like when all the kids are sick and the hubby is TDY. Sigh. America. See? Such diversity and potential! Let’s start a movement!
Oh, and it can also be used to motivate our hubbies when it comes to everyday tasks that they aren’t exactly enthusiastic about, such as taking out the trash or changing the baby’s diaper. DOUBLE AMERICA! (Read more about how to apply this during the holidays with Round Two of Humorous Holiday Hacks. )
*When in doubt, hashtag it. This one ties closely into the first tip, only it takes it to the virtual realm. A friend shares on Facebook that she had her baby? I’d say that calls for a big ol’ congratulations comment, followed by #America! Someone achieves a fitness goal, lands a new job or inherits a fortune from a long-lost uncle? Definite #America opportunity. If you are feeling salty, you can even put it on major life milestones, like how we did on my husband’s re-enlistment cake. (Sidenote: He discovered that the hashtag/pound sign’s “technical” name is “octothorp.” As the picture below indicates, my hubby is committed to his #America habits…)
Want to read the rest of my AMERICA! tips? Pop by Army Wife Network.
Readers, how do you “AMERICA!”? Join the conversation and leave a comment.
