adding an "ing"

I like words. I use a thesaurus. Words are expressive. Words trigger thoughts and tell stories in and of themselves.

Recently, I’ve seen two words which are normally nouns turned into verbs; a thing became an action. Cool concept, right?

A little awkward to say: neighboring - storying

Common words – neighbor and story – were given an “ing” suffix. Instantly, they took on a new life. No longer was a neighbor just a person, it was an action, a way of relating to those who surround us. It implies presence, friendliness and hospitality. Neighboring requires something, the giving of a part of us. (See full article about “Neighboring” at Relevant Magazine)

Storying took neighboring to a different place. Movement was attached to the telling. It was used in relation to sharing about God with people living on Lake Victoria in Africa. Stories were put in context of the culture and given hands and feet.

I guess what I respond to in both words is they beg for my participation and presence. 

How often do I walk around oblivious, giving a little head nod, but not really caring? Quite frankly, probably too often which flies in the face of wanting to notice, be aware and mindful of where I am, who I’m with and my culture in general. It’s easier to say, “I’ll do it when I find the time,” or “Someone has that covered.” But maybe time is never found and someone else is preoccupied too.

It’s not easy to add an “ing” to our lives. 

Straight up, it can be messy and uncomfortable, especially for a person who is mostly introverted when out of her comfort sector. You see, interaction is unscripted. You can’t plan responses and reactions or even be guaranteed of a reply at all.

So, what’s a person to do? Try. Try adding an “ing” to some aspect of life. Just one aspect. See how it goes. It’ll probably be better than you think.

Working on adding an “ing” -

Missy

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