The Effect of Photoluminesence

If we sold enough Easter seals we could get that crucifix.

I got everybody in my neighborhood to buy Easter seals . My parents, aunts and uncles also bought the seals.

I got the crucifix.

I hung it up in my room.

I invited my buddies over to watch the suffering as it glowed in the dark.

Later I learned the word photoluminescent.

Soon after that I learned about "black lights".

Soon after that, we had a black light in our cellar.

And a lot of parties.

I began to use the word photoluminescent with regularity.

One day, a new guy came over to the cellar and I said "Photoluminescent".

He asked, "what does that mean?"

I said "glows in the dark"

He said "why don't you just say that? It doesn't take as much time and tells me what it means as you're saying it"

I compared syllables and sure enough "glows in the dark" has two less syllables than photoluminescent.

Perhaps articulate vocabulary was a deterrent to efficiency.

After a moment of conjecture, I rallied.

"Why say four words, when you can say one?"

"Yeah but your word makes me feel stupid" he observed.

I learned several lessons that day.

1) Just cause you know a word doesn't mean that anybody else does.

2) It's possible to make people feel stupid even when you don't intend that result.

3) The language is available in many different levels and packages.

4) It's a skill to match the level of the language you that speak with the level of the language that the person that you're speaking to understands.

5) Vocabulary is destiny

6) When it comes to destiny, efficiency may or may not be an asset.

7) Some people will always use "photoluminescent" regardless

8) Some people will always use "glows in the dark" even after they learn "photoluminescent"

9) My reading was influencing my vocabulary, thus my destiny and perhaps complicating my life.

10) Not everybody wants to read nor needs to read.

Everything that is photoluminescent whether it be a word or a suffering Jesus, loses its glow when darkness retreats.