It's a word filled with potential and promise and hope. It's become one of my favorite words in Spanish. Granted, my vocabulary is limited, but it is a favorite all the same. I enjoy saying it. I love picturing it in my mind, letting the possibilities twist around and around. That's the joy of the word. It's so flexible. It's like an M. C. Escher illustration, whittled down to 6 letters.

Mañana is morning. It is the beginning. Unblemished potential. It is the start of the day, when everything is fresh and new. Crisp air and clear skies.

Mañana is tomorrow. It is the leftovers of today, that which could not be done and is put off. It is the definite future. It is certainty that the Sun will rise again.

Mañana is the future. Indefinite. Infinite. Some period of time beyond right now, when anything could happen. It is the timeless eventuality of a million possibilities.

I dig this fuzzy line between tomorrow morning, tomorrow in general, and the future in general. Vocabulary is a reflection of mentality. It is a beautiful culture that blurred these ideas into one word.

Orphan Annie had to bellow on stage through several choruses to get the idea across. That little redhead had nothing on Spanish linguistics. Her wide-eyed dreams could be summed up in one simple word. A word that offers a second chance. A word as sacred as any I can think of.

Hasta mañana, my friends.

Labels: costa rica