I was thinking about what to use for Z this week since we're going backwards now. This English letter is involved in many aspects of my life as the sound of the letter is part of many, many words and names in Pashto and Farsi/Dari, the two languages of Afghanistan. It is a dominant sound of a main alphabet letter. Therefore, when we translate names and words into English, there are inevitably a TON of Zs!!!Instead of focusing on the letter in Z in just my life, I got to thinking about a word that affects all of us. I was reminded of "Zygote" from a recent Jeopardy episode. I remember washing the dishes and listening to Jeapordy in the background, then yelling out "What is zygote?!" when I heard the topic's answer. I startled the crap out of Achilles & Milo. What a funny memory...
Anyway, I was once a pre-med major and I particularly loved all of my anatomy classes. It always struck me as such a wonderous contradiction of sorts that the very FIRST fusion of organism cells began with the very LAST letter of the alphabet. Hence, the mighty ZYGOTE!
A zygote has our complete genetic map. One egg cell from my mama chock full of her half of the DNA contribution, and one sperm cell from my papa, with his half, and the map of *ME* was laid out. All that info from my mama and papa was fused together, the newly singular cell created a protective membrance, and went about the business of dividing itself up in even numbers to eventually become an embryo, which finally led to my giant watermelon head being pushed out in painful labor 40 weeks later.
All of us in Blogistan have that in common. We each of us started off as a ZYGOTE. We are so much more similar than we are different. In the immortal words of Toula's dad from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, "We all different, but in the end, we all fruit!" (If you haven't seen that movie yet, go out and rent it. It's hysterical. You'll learn so much about zygotes and fruit.)
Go to Jen's blog at http://unglazed.blogspot.com to check out what other Blogistanis are doing with the fabulous letter Z.
I'd like to extend a very special welcome to Sue from Random Ramblings, who has joined the fray for Z-A Mondays!!! Her pictures are terrific! You can link to her site from my blogroll.
Happy Monday!
9 comments:
There you go...teaching me something AGAIN!!! :)
I love this lesson and the analogy of the fruit. I did not remember that line in the movie, I really just remember all the windex being used!!
(plus that cutie John Corbett)
Happy Monday!
It's amazing how much is packed into that one cluster of cells, isn't it? Good post!
I like that movie, too. I used to work with a Greek girl whose life could have been that movie!
Happy Monday to you gal! I almost did zygote, but glad I didn't, cuz yours is way better than what I would have said. The fact that it's the beginning and the letter is at the end of the alphabet...what an interesting perspective you give things!! Love the little insights you give us to your families culture too!
Wonderful post as always!! Yes we are all created equal....and my X chromosome fits in there somewhere. LOL!
Hope you had a Happy Monday.
Girlfriend, have I told you lately that I think you are brilliant? No? Well, I do. I just LOVE your posts, you are always full of great information, and your writing style is fun and easy to read.
YOU
ROCK
And thank you for your incredibly sweet email about my kid and the Golden get together. You are way too kind!
So it all begins with a Z-word. Nicely described!
To answer your question about the plate, it is a southern living at home 'dress' me up plate. You can write on it (like whiteboard) and decorate with ribbons and such...
You are too kind in your reference to my 'looking young', geeze I am feeling old and starting to look it too!!!
The story of your sister in Benihana? funny and scary. Poor thing...has she eaten shrimp since then?
I had forgotten about this word...and it's super-important! Thanks for the fun reminder.
I saw that picture and for a split second, I thought "OhMyGosh! KBL and BeLovEd are having a BABY!!!"
but, alas, it's "A to Z Mondays" and Z is the letter.
Darn. (I live vicariously through friends' pregnancies.... as Hubster and I have "closed up shop").
ANYWAY. Hope you are doing well, my dear.
btw - I recently re-connected with an old friend from my NYU days. He is living in La Jolla now. Yet ANOTHER friend in the San Diego area. I'm thinking a trip to So Cal may be in order one of these days! :)
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