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Studying the Word Convenience |
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In his college marketing class, my 23-year-old grandson Andrew was given the assignment of defining "convenience." No dictionary, authority or class discussion gave him an answer. While I searched, with unsuccessful results, in 50 books on African history, Andrew and Matthew searched and found a few words in only 15 of several hundred word origin books.
Concepts contained in those words were separated into three groups. First, the "stone" group relates to conveniences in the material world -- things like ease and material advantage. Second, the "iron" group represents the now obsolete ancient meanings of convenience, such as "fitting." Third, the "steel" group consists of words with spiritual worth overtones.
What we were looking for was the Essence (i.e. what something is when it is brought into being) of the word convenience. In chemistry, it is the extract of a substance in concentrated form. As I visualize it, essence is the "seed" from which roots, branches, and leaves spring.
Experience has taught me that when any very meaningful word was present in ancient times, and particularly when found in the Bible (as is the word convenience), then it probably has an African origin. Thus, I switched over to Detective "what works" thinking and focused on the "steel" words because of their attraction to the African magnet of spirituality.
"Steel" words include: (1) "freedom from difficulty or worry" -- which implies to me safety, security, sureness, stability, and strength -- all being benefits of God's love; (2) "coming together for a purpose" -- implying a harmonious grouping of mind and spirit; (3) the archaic definitions of propriety (i.e. a proper but peculiar character) -- implying exceptional people doing all they can to reach the heaven Afterlife; (4) "easy to live with and work in" -- as happens when people support each other; and (5) "to have a good time." These implications are "what work" best in the total "convenience" context. An analogy unifying these five subgroups is sn Olympic crew rowing team, consisting of up to eight members in a shell.
On signal from the crew chief, they give a unified maximum rowing effort; then pause, while moving in the boat; and then repeat the row. Ancient African sages did similar teamwork to get the most done with the greatest Efficiency (done quickly with no wasted time or energy) and the greatest Effectiveness (that "which best works").
When we think of African tradition as a magnet, the steel words are attracted to it and can be arranged into a crew-like rowing team capable of moving backward or forward. Whatever causes greater efficiency and effectiveness are present either with conveniences which move things forward -- Positive Scale Conveniences -- or move things backward -- Negative Scale Conveniences.
Offshoots of the positive type are pleasures, privileges, and/or making things better. However, the idea of "temporary" must be applied to some mechanical things because "too much" convenience can cause problems. Regarding negative scale conveniences, some are needed and some are wanted -- either to lessen problems or to make problems more tolerable (by means of ease, comfort, or consoling). People on their death bed need essential emergency call-buttons within easy reach. Disabled people desiring to go to a restaurant will want to have curb ramps and need to have accommodative toilets. In reflecting on all of these aspects, "convenience" finds a place in spiritual and every day earth realms.
Convenience can be about helping people prepare; about providing resources, about reducing domestic and workplace drudgery, and about selfhood benefits. In short, "convenience" embraces concepts of needs (e.g. the aspirational) and wants on multiple planes of existence. The essence of "convenience" seems to be efficiency and effectiveness.
website: jablifeskills.com
Joseph A. Bailey, II, M.D.
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