Sorbet of the mind...

By Vichara

Like having a sorbet between courses in a fancy restaurant to cleanse our palates, I think we sometimes need a sorbet for the mind. Some way to cleanse the mind, to refresh and get a clearer perspective. Some may be thinking right now – yes it’s called alcohol and drugs…didn’t you? Yes that is the obvious but they are just temporary clouds that just pass by. I’m thinking of some other way. Something that is not so hazardous to health and well-being. Perhaps it is a piece of inspirational literature, some music, a painting, place or just a single photographic image. Maybe it is a combination of a couple things that can be like tumblers in a lock clicking together. I am not sure but I am open to suggestions. Maybe there is a Rosetta Stone that can refresh our perspective. I’m just thinking…

sarcasm • \SAHR-kaz-um\ • noun
1 : a sharp and often satirical or ironic utterance designed to cut or give pain
2 *a : a mode of satirical wit depending for its effect on bitter, caustic, and often ironic language that is usually directed against an individual b : the use or language of sarcasm
Example Sentence:
"I grew up with an indifferent mother in a house where sarcasm reigned." (Nancy Davidoff Kelton, The Boston Globe, March 21, 2010)
Did you know?
If you've ever been hurt by a remark full of cutting sarcasm, you have some insight into the origins of the word. "Sarcasm" can be traced back to the Greek verb "sarkazein," which initially meant "to tear flesh like a dog." "Sarkazein" eventually developed extended senses of "to bite one's lips in rage," "to gnash one's teeth," and eventually "to sneer." "Sarkazein" led to the Greek noun "sarkasmos," ("a sneering or hurtful remark"), iterations of which passed through French and Late Latin before arriving in English as "sarcasm" in the mid-16th century. Even today sarcasm is often described as sharp, cutting, or wounding, reminiscent of the original meaning of the Greek verb.