I Was Called Encyclopedia, But Just as Well Could Have Been Dictionary

In college, I was often called "Encyclopedia," because my brain stores all kinds of useless information.  It still does, but it also collects words.  That probably started in high school Senior English with Mrs. Shehane.  She gave us vocabulary lessons with words like pusillanimous (cowardly), obsequious (fawning obedience), ubiquitous (seeming to be everywhere), erudite (scholarly), inculcate (to ingrain), and many others.  I have also been known to read the dictionary just for fun.  

My favorite word is one that is common enough, that everyone seems to use a form of it often, but I found it has a deeper meaning that just the surface definition it is frequently given. The word is COMFORT.  In studying this word, I found its roots go back to the Latin "com," meaning "with;" and "forte," meaning strength.  Put it together, it means "with strength."  To comfort means to give strength.  To be comforted means that someone has given you their strength at a time when you most need it.  I like this meaning much more that the commonly accepted "ease," or "cozy." 

I can't count the number of times I have been comforted, when someone stood by me with strength.  It's such an incredible feeling.  So tonight, I'm hoping you'll collect this word with me and find some comfort.  

But this wouldn't be a "Becky" post without a bit of humor.  Here it is:

A blonde and a redhead have a ranch. They have just lost their bull. The women need to buy another, but only have $500. The redhead tells the blonde, “I will go to the market and see if I can find one for under that amount. If I can, I will send you a telegram.” She goes to the market and finds one for $499. Having only one dollar left, she goes to the telegraph office and finds out that it costs one dollar per word. She is stumped on how to tell the blonde to bring the truck and trailer. Finally, she tells the telegraph operator to send the word “comfortable.” Skeptical, the operator asks, “How will she know to come with the trailer from just that word?” The redhead replies, “She’s a blonde so she reads slow: ‘Come for ta bull.'”