Lana Maryé Morelli

I have always loved “colorful” words. When I was a child, I called big words or rare words “foo-foo” words. You see, my love affair with words started very early on. I was the youngest in my family and running after my brother and sister, screaming, “wait for me” in every aspect possible. So as I struggled to keep up and be taken seriously, I looked to language to help me. I knew that words and correct phrases could aid me in communicating and getting my point across; but even more, these “foo-foo” words made me sound like a “real big kid.” So here is a true “big-kid” “foo-foo” word: Neotony—Pronounced ( Knee-ot-Knee ) It is a 50-cent adjective for describing someone. Literally defined as “the retention of childlike attributes in adulthood.” Decoded: it means to be youthful-minded . Now, neotony is a funny thing. It needs to be balanced. For some people the idea of neotony is laid on too thick. They have retained too many childlike attributes and carried only those attributes ...

Pumpkins, candy, ghosts goblins, ghouls and witches. Halloween is on Sunday—but the most defining characteristic of course is Trick-or Treating. It is when children dress up in a costume and go door-to-door filling bags and pillowcases with chocolates and candies. Normally, as per the political correct gender roles, it seems that only girls continue to play dress up past Kindergarten. Sure little boys have that “stage” around 3 years old where they refuse to take off their Batman or Superman costume, but once they hit first grade that routine is over. Yet, Halloween seems to be the exception, so much that parents are spending tons of money on costumes encouraging their children to strut though the neighborhood. It’s something that we American’s are accustomed to. We grew up doing it and we don’t think twice about it Historically, it is claimed that Trick-or-Treating resembles the late medieval practice of souling, when poor people would go door to door on Hallowmas (November 1),...

When the entire world tunes in to watch the same news on television, their computers, and even cell phones, it almost always means a tragedy. That something catastrophic has happened… like a terrorist attack, 9/11, The Haiti Earthquake, a volcano eruption, hurricane damage, wars or bombing. We all sit wide-eyed in front of the screens silenced with disbelief as our eyes watch the unthinkable unfold. This week however, was different. This week the world watched as the exception to the rule occurred. This week people across the country and around the world watched in relief and disbelief as 33 miners were pulled from ½ a mile underground where they were trapped for 69 days. Each and every one of them was successfully pulled to the surface and saved. In a time where the slumped economy, debt, unemployment, terrorism, war and depression plagues our daily headlines; and we are so used to expecting the worst, watching this rescue unfold seemed surreal. As it streamed lives across the scr...

This week, People magazine featured Elin Nordegren (Tiger Wood’s Ex-Wife) as its cover story. It is the first time she has spoken out since the ordeal of her husband publically slutting himself around with umpteen women behind her back. Her personal marital problem is only a feature story because her husband is the highest paid athlete in the world and his list of indiscretions became public. At the core, it’s just a run-of-the mill story of a slime-ball and his and laundry list of infidelities. To me this isn’t really “breaking news,” but as I paged through the article I noticed a quote Elin gave which People Magazine highlighted in a sidebar. This quote caught my attention. Elin says…. “I always believe the best of people, and when you do that, you’re going to be really screwed sometimes.” I loved this quote, it’s raw and honest, but most of all, it’s true. We find ourselves reciting the homage “See the good in people,” but what we forget is that sometimes...even when we see...

Last week I blogged about freedom and independence…but I left something out. I left out a very important aspect; one that we usually try to ignore when thinking about the exhilarating benefits of freedom and independence; one that doesn’t have a place in a flowery reflection. It’s the dark reality that hides on the sidelines. What I left out was considering, the price, we pay for freedom and independence.  Everything has a price and at this point in life, we know that. A ying and a yang, a give and a take. It can’t all be great because we would never appreciate it and it can’t all be terrible because we would never yearn to attain it. Instead, the truth is that we have to give something up to gain something. (I hate that part sometimes.) All of us in our 20soemthing years are yearning for independence on some level. Almost all of us are working toward it. Intellectual independence is why we sit through college classes to gain knowledge, because whether we like to admit it or not...

Independence Day was last weekend. The 4th of July! Maybe you’re wondering why I didn’t blog about this LAST weekend, since the holiday of course was LAST weekend. Well, ya know what? I took a week off last weekend. Didn’t notice? That’s because you too were carried away with the hustle and bustle of the weekend; the rushing around, packing, planning, driving, BBQing, fireworking and celebrating. It wasn’t easy for me to take a week off though. I felt guilty. I haven’t missed a week since I started. But then I thought, it’s a holiday, the day we celebrate living in a free country… so taking a week off and doing what I want, be free of blogging for a week. It all kind of fits right into the theme of the celebration. So that’s why we’re doing Independence Day now…just thought you should know. The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays. It’s a chance to take a break and celebrate in the summer. A holiday without any expectations; no turkey, no costumes, no bunnies hopping aro...

Breakaway…he shoots, and…SCORE!   That’s what I was hoping to hear when I watched the Flyers go into overtime during the Stanley Cup Game 6 on Wednesday night… Instead, I watched in utter confusion as Leighton, (our goaltender) stayed bended on one knee. Is he hurt I wondered? It appeared that the game was still going on. Then I noticed that he hadn’t got up because the far shot, made in passing, had gone into the net. Chicago scored the winning goal in overtime and just like that the game was over. It happened so quickly that I didn’t even see it go in. The sports bar fell silent as we Philadelphia Fans watched in horror as the Stanley Cup was being ripped away.... Silent that is, until someone yelled out… “ Our goaltender sucks!” The man who uttered these words was dripping in Flyers paraphernalia. He had on a Flyers hat and T-shirt. He probably had those team flags flying from his vehicle. I hoped that he was a bandwagon fan. Someone who stood in line at Models after...

It’s summertime, the days are longer, the weather is warmer and the clothing is scarce.    Part of this can’t be avoided, when its 90 degrees outside it’s impossible to not be in anything beside shorts and a tank top.   Truth is, if you were walking around with a hat, scarf and gloves, people would think that you’re nuts. So, there is a skimpiness to summer that is undeniably acceptable.  Hey, I will be the first person to trade in boots for flip-flops, a jacket for a tank top or pants for shorts … and it’s only a certain time of year, a small window of time, where you can wear a bikini and sheer cover up to a beach restaurant/bar and still be considered “ dressed .” So the clothing is minimal and for the most part, this notion is socially acceptable. But, then there are the trends that push this acceptance.  The skirts that are “ cheeky ” or the tops that push you up, out, and cause you to spill over.  This sleazy-push appears to be coming from the...

This weekend is Memorial Day, the unofficial start of summer [Enter: Sigh of relief] Summer means no more snow, no more cold nights and no more bundling up in jackets, scarves or hats. Summer means running around in flip-flops, short shorts and tank tops. Being able to drop the top on your car, open the sunroof or roll down the windows. Summer is a time when we’ve replaced hot cocoa with ice cream; Christmas lights for lightening bugs and warm blankets for sandy beach towels. Instead of being hit in the face with cold air as you walk out your front door, you’re hit with a heat wave that smells faintly of honeysuckles and swimming pool chlorine. The days are longer and it just seems like the nights are more fun! ;) We are more likely to venture out for happy hour or hang with friends at a barbeque. We are more apt to travel, plan road-trips or an outing. Summer means more freedom and fewer restrictions because the weather is working with us, not against us. But above all of t...

Keeping up with the Joneses, just another “ THEY ” we feel compelled to follow. So, maybe that is why our society is so apt to embrace change. Why we rush to obtain the new and cutting edge. Maybe we’re all just trying to keep up. My question then is have we taken this too far? Newest trend in the past 2 decades—tattoos. (Yes I know people in the military, motorcycle organizations, etc… have been getting inked for a long time, but only recently has it become universal) To the younger generations (we 20somethings), tattoos are not only acceptable but have grown to be somewhat of a norm. I think this is largely in part because we are striving to individualize or make ourselves unique and independent from “ everyone else. ” But, for some this new fad, the obsession with ink, is just another way to keep up with those damn Joneses. Either way, if you’re getting your ink in a clean reputable establishment, and you’re willing to tolerate the extended stare ( sometimes snarl ) of the olde...