May 30, 2018 Happy Wednesday from Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor! Mistletoe Enterprises? What’s up with a name like that? How did I ever arrive at the decision to name my business after a parasitic plant? There’s more to it than just the Christmas tradition of kissing under the sprig of mistletoe… as delightful as that can be. Of course, if the cheer derived from the spirit of the season rendered by that tradition could last throughout the year, that alone could be sufficient to explain the essence of the Mistletoe in my business brand. But, there’s more to the story. There’s… a source. An origin. A true story. When I was growing up one of my favorite activities was reading the syndicated columnists in the editorials section of the daily newspaper. (I also loved solving the crossword puzzles, by the way!) The writers I most enjoyed back in the 70’s and 80’s were Mike Royko, Andy Rooney, and the columnist with the indubitable propensity for exhausting readers by using an inexhaustible abundance of $10 words: George Will. Now, in those days, one didn’t do an internet search to find the meaning of a word. When I read George Will’s columns, I had a dictionary handy. It was a necessity. Thanks to George Will, I learned to read twenty words, consult a dictionary, and repeat this process about fifteen times to understand his column. I also acquired the additional habit of searching for the source of a word: its etymology. Do you know the etymology of the word “etymology?” Most words can be derived from Old English, German, French, Latin or, in this case, Greek. The Greek word “etymon” means “true sense.” This is akin to the Greek word “etymos” which means “true, real, or actual.” And the Greek word “logia” denotes “the study of.” Putting that all together, the etymology of a word is the study of the true sense of its origin. So, jumping to October 2017, being naturally inclined to find the true sense of the origin of words, before I named my business, I studied the etymology of the word “mistletoe.” I should stop here… but, I won’t. The etymology – the true sense of the origin of the word “mistletoe” – the word that I knowingly, deliberately, and enthusiastically selected for the brand name of my business – means… “dung on a twig.” Thank you very much, Old English. Dung on a twig. I like that. I like that a lot! I like that so much, I named my business after it. Not because it may seem unattractive or unappealing: but because it’s common, it’s natural, and it helps things grow. The iconic mascots used by Mistletoe Enterprises and Victory & Valor are the cardinal and the eagle. And around the world, birds of a wide variety rely for survival on the nourishment and the shelter afforded by the mistletoe species. Many birds of prey use its thick growth as cover or as nests. And the berries, though toxic to humans, are a plentiful source of food for many bird species. Like I said, Mistletoe helps things grow. That’s something I can be very proud of every time I publish an educational story. More than that, I’m happy to stress the importance of the etymological process to find the true sense and the origin of words, and to incorporate those truths in the educational stories I publish. Mistletoe Enterprises LLC and Victory & Valor are in the business of spreading cheer every day throughout the year and telling the stories of heroes from all walks of life. Like dung on a twig, Mistletoe Enterprises helps things grow… propagate… proliferate… Thanks George Will!
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AuthorTom Davis is the owner of Mistletoe Enterprises LLC. He also publishes and distributes the Victory & Valor Flyer, it tells the stories of heroes from all walks of life. Archives
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