Today, it’s my pleasure to host JT Therrien as part of a blog swap. To see my post today, click here.
JT is a Canadian fiction writer working in a variety of genres. His latest release, Sprainter, is an inspirational, young adult, art-themed, dystopian, romance novella for Astraea Press. It crosses five literary genres. Take it away, JT.
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I’ve been m
arried to a saint of a woman for 27 years, 28 in two weeks! I’m serious when I describe my wife as a saint: she is a member of the Legion of Mary (the largest lay organization of the Catholic Church) and as such, she visits the home-bound, the sick, and the dying to offer comfort and to pray. She does this several times a week along with a slew of other charitable works. Let this be a thumbnail sketch of her character.
So, over our, let’s call it 28 year marriage, we have had some disagreements. Nothing ever too serious. My wife doesn’t yell. She never has. She doesn’t throw things in anger (or in any other mood), she doesn’t storm off in a huff, or drive away in a cloud of dust. That… um… would be me. I’m the more emotional one of the couple. But enough about me…
There is also one other major, important difference between us, and although I have lots of time to think about things, I feel that I may be starting to obsess about this one, teeny, tiny, issue. You see, she cares not a whit that there are, approximately, ten to twelve released songs that use the word “moot” in their lyrics.
Moot?
Yep. The only song I’ve ever heard that uses this word is the one performed by world-famous Rick Springfield, aka Dr. Noah Drake of General Hospital fame. If you don’t know the reference, ask your mother (or grandmother).
For those of you interested in the Jessie’s Girl video you can watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYkbTyHXwbs
Anyway, I’m a child of the eighties, so I’ve been listening to Jessie’s Girl for 32 years. And every time I hear it, I wonder about that odd word: “moot.” To the point where a couple of years ago I Googled it. I would’ve bet the farm that it would appear only in Rick Springfield’s song. I mentioned my unbelievable discovery of ten other songs to my wife and… gosh… this is so difficult to admit… Well, it was almost as if she didn’t care!
In fact, her words were something to the effect of: “So what? Why are you even wasting time thinking about this?”
“So what?” I was amazed there existed even ONE song with the word “moot” in the lyrics, imagine my shock to discover there were at least ten others! And all she has to say is “so what?”
Unbelievably, she really wasn’t kidding! This issue did not concern my wife in the least. And at last we’ve arrived at the problem. “Moot” is an odd word that doesn’t really rhyme with many other words besides “boot”, “hoot”, “Old Coot” – definitely not pop or love song material. In fact, Rick Springfield rhymes “moot” with “cute,” a stretch that would send most self-respecting poets into serious conniption fits. I realize there are other lyrics that sound just as odd, but this is the one that really bugs me.
But it’s also my wife’s lack of interest in the matter that, in part, keeps me awake at night. We’ve been through so much together: Twin Peaks, odd Survivor twists, and real-life issues that were just as bizarre. And we’ve always agreed on everything. So why not this lyric issue?
I blame hormones, or genes, or some biological issue. There, I’ve said it: I think it’s a male thing! Or female. Am I right? I’d love for readers to leave a comment so that I can get to the bottom of this disturbing issue once and for all. Then I can move on with my life (or seek professional help). Whichever.
Anyway, thank you for reading along. I wish to thank David for his generous offer of his blog today. For those of you looking for his regular post, which, I assure you, has nothing to do with the word “moot,” you’ll find it on my blog here.
You can find me everywhere on the interwebs, but I mostly hang out on Twitter, where I retweet my friends’ tweets. I’m also on Facebook, and on my blog:
https://twitter.com/jttherrien
http://www.facebook.com/JTTherrienAuthor1
http://jttherrien.blogspot.ca
If you abide in Me and My word abides in you, then you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.
For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
David N Walker 
JT and David – This is a fun post and just last night Springfield was on national news. I think we’ll see a lot of him with the rebuilding project of the Jersey Shores. Really, getting hung up on the word moot. That’s pretty far out there in my world. I’m with your wife, SO WHAT! And, David – as you know, I worked in the white collar crime/legal world for a hundred years and sure, moot is a legal word but it’s ancient. Now something simply isn’t relative. I’ll agree on one thing JT, your wife is doing the work so many are unable to face. Bless her for the comfort she brings to so many.
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Hi Sheri! That’s right, I did hear Rick Springfield’s name mentioned on the news recently. Glad to hear that people are rallying to rebuild Jersey Shores. I read your comment to my wife and she sends her regards. It is heartbreaking how many sick and dying people are basically abandoned in homes and hospitals. Thank you for participating in my informal poll. It seems that so far the “so whats” outnumber the “that’s really interesting” reactions. 🙂
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Thanks, Sheri. Are you saying the word “moot” is no longer germane? Archie Bunker would say, “What’s it got to do with the damned Germans?”
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David – We’re no longer using it in white collar crime investigation reporting or testifying.
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Hi Faye! Thanks for your input. Maybe it is just me… 🙂
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Haha. We all have our hang-ups, JT. This is one of yours. Others might get hung-up on it, too, but there really is no real reason to care if moot is in a song or what songs it is in – the point really is moot (lol). Curiosity is all that is going for this.
Great post! 🙂
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Thanks, Faye,
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JT, you are a hoot, and I too would contemplate the use of moot. So this might not be a female male thing. As I am a woman, but living in a man’s world. I do fly an airplane that is female. Her name is Fifi. What could rhyme with that? Hmmm. I just tell the men don’t push the wrong buttons, let her do her thing, and you will be fine. This is my recommendation to you. And yet…
I suspect your wife is too busy ‘doing’ to have time in her brain to contemplate the whys of the world. Especially one so important from the 80s! My advice to you is… come up with all the potential uses of moot, and use it a thousand times through your communications with her in a day. This will do one of three things: 1. Make her laugh. 2. Show her the other light of the craziness of this word in a song (that I took know and love). 3. Inspire her to throw things.
Then learn to duck.
David, Thanks for the smile today! And drop on over to Flight To Success for another laugh. My first oil painting. I’m learning. http://tinyurl.com/c346ter
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I’ll do that, Karlene.
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lol! Thank you for the kind words of advice, Karlene. I have seen my wife throw things like baseballs… I don’t think I’d have to worry too much about learning to duck. I will seriously consider adding the word to our everyday conversations… 🙂
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Wow! What a blast from the past. I absolutely crushed on Rick in high school. Who am I kidding? I’d still be giddy in the same room with him.
And what they hey? I’m with Renee on this one – what are the other songs???
As for the “moot” issue – maybe it’s a writer thing instead of a gender thing. It sounds like something I’d have looked up, if I’d pondered it.
Enjoyed the post, JT!
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Actually, Rhonda, it’s usually a legal term – a moot point.
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No – I meant if I’d thought to look up songs having the word in it. I know what it means. I worked in the court system for 20 years. I used it a lot! Tons of situations come up when talking with my former co-workers. LOL 🙂
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Thank you for your comment, Rhonda. Although I have a background in Philosophy, I didn’t think the issue was philosophical so much as possibly sociological. 🙂
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JT: First of all, it’s hard to take anything seriously that came out of Dr. Noah Drake’s mouth. I mean he also crooned: “Don’t talk to strangers,” which, we all know, is kind of impossible.
Meanwhile the dude was hot, and he had great hair. What else do you need to know?
Anyway, that point is probably moot.
Still, I can’t believe you didn’t tell us the other songs that use the word! What are they? Whaaat? Cliffhanger!
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I’m sworn to secrecy, Renee – by the fact that I don’t know.
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lol. When I first checked a couple of years ago (on Google) there were only two. That number ballooned up to 12 at last count. Also, I can’t attest to Dr. Noah Drake’s “hotness”. I’ll have to take your word for that, Renee.
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