Editor’s letter: a little wordy in 2023
Hello all, and happy new year! I hope your 2023 is off to a productive and transformative start. I’m not one for resolutions, myself, but I am a fan of the trend that I’ve seen many of my friends adopting of selecting a word for the coming year instead of picking a habit to take on or drop. The word of the year seems to be a much healthier way to bring about change, in my personal opinion, than trying to cut something outright or suddenly add a new obligation from nowhere.
Dictionaries also pick a word of the year as each calendar closes, so perhaps the 2022 entries could inspire you with a phrase to select for this year.
Oxford’s 2022 word of the year was goblin mode. This slang phrase means “a type of behavior which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.” Well, though I don’t suggest you go goblin mode in 2023, this might be your word of what NOT to do. Dictionary.com’s word of the year was woman due to a massive, exponential rise in searches of the word and the cultural conversation surrounding gender and identity. Alright, perhaps not a great start. Well, let’s look at Merriam-Webster. Its word of the year was gaslighting. Eek. No.
Okay, so maybe that was the wrong tactic. But I am sure that, should the sentiment strike you as helpful, you could find a word that speaks to you. That would be much better than forcing one to fit your life anyway.
Regardless of whether you pick a resolution or a word for your year, I hope your 2023 is filled with health, happiness and prosperity. This edition of Mon Valley Magazine is filled with several compelling stories, including our cover feature about a new program at Monessen’s Library, Yarn for Yinzers. This new endeavor aims to provide knitting materials for those that want to give their time and create winter gear for their neighbors. So donated yarn and donated skills result in free scarves, gloves, hats and more for those that need them. Win, win, win. We also have features from the top three overall Mon Valley businesses from our Best of the Best awards last November. Enjoy that and more in this publication. Take care, stay safe and see you in the next edition.