Sell. Cell. Fish. Phish. Sell fish? Cell fish.

Selfish.

How often do you say that word aloud? Say it now. 'Selfish'.

Doesn't it kind of get stuck in your throat? I find that the very construction of the word is gooey- a kind of sticky, mushy sound that gets caught up in your gums and in those holes where your wisdom teeth used to be.

Selfish.

Such a negative sounding word, and hardly ever used to describe anything good. Etymologically, I think it should be noted that it more or less means 'self-focused'...'self-defending'....'self-preserving'?

It certainly becomes two completely different and substantial words when you look at it from a situational perspective. But, as I learned today, the word more often than not has little to do with what I've done, excuse me, what one does to preserve...um...one's self, and more to do with how horribly self-centered (usually to the detriment of someone else) one is being.

I would argue that few people, in the course of their lifetimes, sit through interactions like the one I sat through today. And the last thing that I'd want or expect is sympathy, or even understanding. To expect the understanding of those close to me would mean that I expect them to, even in minuscule doses, ingest, digest and regurgitate the flaming hatred and unchecked confusion that I was subjected to today. God knows I would never wish that on anyone.

So what do you do? Do you lie? Do you blog about it? Do you phone a friend? Do you don the eye-shadow and lash marks of your fellow-martyred acquaintances? Or do you allow the mush to slowly, awkwardly, clumsily make it's way down your esophagus where it sits (deliberately, maliciously) in your stomach, then your intestines, waiting (patiently, smugly) to be expelled? I suppose, in the matter of Diaz vs. Selfish Mush, the claimant will just have to swallow it whole.

I think, unfortunately, my teeth are rotting from all this viscous nonsense.