Beautiful and Ugly Words

 A word that I find beautiful is symphony. Symphony by itself rolls of the tongue like silk, and ironically, the sound is the meaning. Symphony can be used to describe an orchestra or a compositional work, and within the word hide soaring melodies and trembling lows. As a little kid, I would often fall asleep to the sounds of my mom practicing for her next concert as a professional musician. The notes she played would work their way up the stairs and into my room, where they filled me with serenity and peace. Now as an adult (technically), the word symphony brings me back to the magic and wonder only a child's eye can see, and I get part of the same serenity I fell asleep to oh so many times growing up. Now as a musician myself, symphony also reminds me of the nerves that always return before a big solo, the anticipation of wanting to deliver the same quality I listened to as a kid. I find moist an ugly word, as it somehow reminds me of a dark, dank basement. Whereas symphony flows, moist is short and harsh, its single syllable getting straight to its ugly point. Moist is the feeling when you step in a puddle, and the water slowly creeps into your shoe and gets your sock wet. Although a minor inconvenience, wet socks have the ability to ruin a bright new day in an instant, as they never seem to be dry when you need it.