Just a Word

When I met one of my friends a few years ago, she asked me what I did. I said that I worked for a law firm. And when the inevitable follow-up question came, "Are you a lawyer or do you want to be a lawyer?" I replied with the usual, "No, I'm just an office assistant." And her answer stuck with me. She said, "You're not JUST an office assistant. I've worked in offices where how good the office assistant is makes a huge difference in how the whole place runs!" I guess I knew it was true because my co-workers always thanked me for doing a good job, commented on my speed and accuracy, and I always chalked it up to JUST doing my job.

So, I started thinking about all the other ways I use the word just. The first thing that came to mind was when I was in high school, and it was very clear that a boy in my class liked me. My mom used to tease me about him, and I'd say, "No, he's JUST a friend." I dated that boy for ten years, and the JUST that always preceded his name went away.

Just a kiss. It was just a kiss, but I can distinctly remember all those kisses that weren't JUST a kiss. I look back on that "just a kiss" that made me fall in love. The "just a kiss" that broke my heart. The "just a kiss" that made me realize that even though he was cute and I had been crushing on him for years didn't mean that he was a good kisser. Subsequent kisses got better, but that first one was disappointing. I mean, you can't imagine how long I waited for just that kiss.  The "just a kiss" that turned out to be the first of many with a person, and the "just a kiss" that I knew was the last. The "just a kiss" that made me think, "Oh, this man is trouble."

Just a cigarette. Just a drink. Just one more bite. Just one more mile. Just a few more minutes. Just one more time. Just one more day. Just one more year. Just one more chance. It seems like just yesterday.

Nothing is JUST anything. I am not JUST anything. I decided that day when my friend told me that I wasn't JUST an office assistant that I would think more carefully about my use of the word just. I mean, it's JUST a word, but it does make a big difference in how you portray yourself and your experiences and the world around you.