Lest this become a lesson in the grammatical usage of gerunds and participles, I believe that there is more to this way of thinking: passion = noun –> verb.  As in so many components of life and relationships, there is a heck of a lot of semantics attached to the way we speak, think, and act.

This might be a matter best left to a linguistical convention . . . but still. When a kind-of-weird thought speaks, I listen. And, within this thought, I found myself searching for some hidden meanings of life that go beyond the eight parts of speech.

What I discovered is that it is easy for me to think of a verb — an action or a state of being — that I associate with my passions, interests, and hobbies . . . and most of them are gerund-nouns: writing, playing mandolin, reading, gardening, painting, etc.  And I can just as easily use these gerunds as participle verbs: I have been playing the mandolin for many years.  I am writing in my office right now.  This sort of thing.  Gerund/verb: writing/writing.

I realized that it is easier for me to think of the verb part — the doing or the being part — and harder to think of the noun part — the “thing” inside of me that drives me to pursue the interests that require no conscious thought . . . I simply do them because . . . I don’t exactly know.

It  is almost as if there is an iconic part — a noun or a symbol or a talisman factor — within us that inspires us to skateboard or ski or play trombone or get a degree in chemistry or write or play roller derby or get a pilot’s license or cut and paste paper into beautiful creations.  I am thinking that some thing that can’t really be put into any part of speech within me that calls me to action.  What do you think?

What’s your noun?  Your icon?  _______________

Please, share your noun with the rest of us.

My noun: typewriter