words

i was listening to a wiretap podcast entitled couples on the subway today.  it aired on the 13th but you can listen to the episode here.  it begins with scott kravitz's story of how he acquired his (now deceased) dog, ann... he further explains his inability to be in the moment for his fear of it ending.  and goes on to say his biggest regret was not taking enough pictures.  he says photography forces you to choose between living in the moment and documenting it... and he feels that you can't do both.

and from it i learned a welsh word: hiraeth.  according to wikipedia it has no direct english translation... according to scott kravit's friend it means:

"a longing for something you already have . . . that feeling when you're in a moment so wonderful that all you can do is mourn it's passing even as it is happening"

then he looks it up online and learns that hiraeth actually means, a longing to be in wales...

well i liked the meaning he initially gave us better...  so i didn't want to believe him.  upon further research (does wikipedia count as research?) i learned it could also mean:

"homesickness tinged with grief or sadness over the lost or departed. it is a mix of longing, yearning, nostalgia, wistfulness, and the earnest desire for the wales of the past."

scott attempts to quantify the real definition by saying "if someone is in wales and still feels hiraeth that's probably close enough."  too funny.  anyway. it's an interesting thing to think about: living in the moment. and the podcast is good for at least 3 laughs.  and maybe one single tear.