Words of Wonder #15

Turbid, Frisson, Penultimate, and Finifugal

Turbid

One of my favorite parts of spring is the thunderstorms. Not the hail-damaged roofs or the tornado sirens: I could do without those. But I love the buildup to a violent storm. The air feels charged with tension. The light turns an eerie grayish yellow. On the horizon, a wall of ominous clouds approaches. Nothing looks as bright as a flock of white birds flying to shelter against the dark backdrop of a stormy sky.

When the storm finally hits, the tension is released. We listen to rain batter the windows and curl up on the couch to watch a movie. I curse myself for not cleaning out the gutters. Night falls and the rain stops, but the sky still crackles with electricity. We turn the movie off, open the blinds, and watch the dance of lightning.

Frisson

There is pleasure in being scared. A couple nights a year I’ll stay up by myself and watch horror films. No one else likes scary movies in my house—but for me, the creepier the better. I want to be so scared I can’t sleep. I want to be so scared the slightest creak makes me jump to the ceiling.

This joy in terror only makes sense if deep down I know I’m safe. It’s the difference between riding the tallest rollercoaster in the world and carrying a sheet of plywood across the roof of a house (two things I did one summer in high school). In the former, I’m strapped in tight, at the mercy of an artificial thrill ride. In the latter, I know a gust of wind or false step could end in a broken arm. Yes, I’m afraid of heights. But when the fear is under my control…I savor the thrill.

Penultimate

Who wants to think about endings? The series finale of a favorite show is often a letdown. The final volume of a story often spends too much time tying up loose ends. And once a story is over, we have to say farewell to our fictional friends.

I prefer the penultimate story. The second film in the trilogy. The sixth novel in the heptalogy. The twelfth story in the tridecology (tridecology is a word which here means like trilogy, but with thirteen).

In the penultimate part of the saga, the characters are fully developed. The plot is so twisted, you think the author will never pull it off. The tale is not at the top of the story coaster, but you can see the top. There’s still time to savor the ride ahead—without worrying about the end.

Finifugal

And when at last we reach the ultimate volume of the series, the ultimate chapter of the story, the ultimate line of the song. Let’s slow down. And make sure. We savor. Every. Last. Word.