Palimpsests

These blog posts might be examples of palimpsests if they were written on parchment or a tablet from which earlier writing had been erased, instead of on a computer. I erase (backspace or highlight and delete) a lot. But there is no residual evidence to the eye (unless you use the undo button) and my self edits most likely would not meet the palimpsest criteria because the earlier erased writing implied in the definition of a palimpsest brings to mind ancient recyclers of the written word. Wait a minute, maybe I do resemble that remark! I do sometimes feel ancient and I always recycle. All that aside, I chose palimpsests for today’s blog topic because when I came across the word I had no idea what it meant.

The word palimpsest has two definitions and neither is used to describe bloggers. A palimpsest is writing material (as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased, or something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface. Two examples of the second meaning: Canada … is a palimpsest, an overlay of classes and generations — Margaret Atwood. Or the ancient city is an architectural palimpsest. It seems obvious to me that the second meaning is the higher level thinking definition for palimpsest.

All that is left is for me to use my new word in a sentence, so here goes: When my twin brother and I were still children my parents took us to the VA hospital to visit our grandfather, a war veteran who was recovering there from a wound to his leg due to shrapnel. He knew we were coming as my parents had called ahead and he and several other recovering vets were out on the grounds awaiting visitors when we arrived. As soon as my father stopped the car we jumped out and ran across the lawn to meet our grandfather as he came toward us. “Pa limps estimably well!” my intellectually superior twin brother said to me…… He always did have a better vocabulary.