EGLINT – My Word for 2020

Eglint. That’s my word for the new year.

I have a lot of friends who engage in the practice of choosing a word to think about and explore for an entire year. Their explanations for their choices at the beginning of the year and their reflections on the revelations that came from that practice have been inspiring.

I’ve admired this practice from a distance. But when I’ve devoted the time to choose a word, the entire enterprise falls apart. I mean, do you have any idea how many words are out there? The whole thing is very intimidating.

I decided to just open my mind and to see if a word presented itself. After all, others had reported using that very method and it makes sense. So, through the month of December, I waited. Several words surfaced. Yet none seemed to be THE word.

On New Year’s Day, I still had no word. I resigned myself to another wordless year. My mind was truly a clean slate and not a single letter of an appropriate word had appeared.

Around 2:30 a.m. on January 2, I awoke from a dream. In that dream, a word had come to me. And the word was “eglint.” Shaking the cobwebs from my brain, I spent several minutes firmly impressing the word in my memory. At 4:30 a.m., my normal waking time, I was amazed when I realized that the word was still there. Eglint. I took no chances at that point. I went immediately to my study and wrote the word on a post-it note.

About the time I finished my first cup of coffee, I eagerly turned to my computer to search for the meaning and origin of my word. It didn’t take long to learn that my word was truly unique and special. In fact, the only occurrence in my search was “EGLint,” a programming command used to help retrieve EGL frame buffer configurations for a given display.

Huh?

I was suddenly terrified. Now I am stuck with this word or this conglomeration of words for the next 12 months. What will I do with it? What deep meaning will it bring me?

I’ve had several days to think about it now. I am at peace with the word. It is, in fact, symbolic of so much of my life. The narrative goes like this:

[pullquote align=”right”]I am entrusted with something I don’t understand. I am at a loss and, frankly, frustrated. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make sense of it. And then, at some point, the truth emerges. Not necessarily the meaning. Just the realization that this one thing is beyond me. [/pullquote]I am entrusted with something I don’t understand. I am at a loss and, frankly, frustrated. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make sense of it. And then, at some point, the truth emerges. Not necessarily the meaning. Just the realization that this one thing is beyond me. (I try not to think about the fact that “things beyond me” are not just limited to one thing.)

What I’ve come to know is that seeing and living the mysteries of life are a blessing. Intricate knowledge about everything takes away the questions. And questions are a divine gift that call us into exploration and adventure.

So, this year, EGLINT. I have a feeling that my adventure will take an unexpected turn. And I will find contentment in the question.