In Categories, described as "perhaps the single most heavily discussed of all Aristotelian notions", Aristotle tries to place every object of human apprehension under one of ten categories (known to medieval writers as the Latin term praedicamenta).
I was thinking about this while thumbing through my recipe box. (“What? Michele has a recipe box?”) How we categorize, how we sort, seems of particular importance right now.
Potato and Leek Gratin: “P” or “G?"
Grandma’s Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies: “G,” “C,” or maybe even “S?".
As I struggle to make sense of the news and the stream of messages, rants, and even celebrations streaming into my inbox these days, I’m trying to make meaning out of this moment. It occurs to me that how I emerge from this period will depend, in large part, on the language I use. How should I name and file these moments so that I can, sometime in the future, recall them and the lessons I have learned? Can I change the meaning of these days based on how I choose to categorize them?
-Michele
