It makes me even more mental than usual....I had an accidental flood which has destroyed my condo a few weeks back while my grandmother was dying.

I keep getting the same reaction, "You must be devastated!!"

HA!! I guess people have much weirder definitions. Let me give you some background. I worked with hemophiliacs who were healthy starting in 1984, over a hundred. They got AIDS and died. I lost my last one in 2002. Jonathan E. Foster. My best friend and computer mentor. I was close to A LOT OF GUYS. You all wonder where my love of platonic guy friends and my training in "guy" as a whole other language and philosophy began. CAMP BLOOD BROTHERS. I worked their every summer. I taught crafts. Whenever a friend who was a counselor and they were all friends, got a bleed and couldn't do an activity with kids, I went in his place. I have done it all including telling some 9 and 10 year old boys if they purposely turned over a canoe into moss and algae ridden waters, I WOULD BEAT THEM SEVERELY AND THEN INFUSE THEM MYSELF. LOL. I have stomped and clapped along to WE WILL ROCK YOU in the mess hall more times than I can count or remember. I know every fart joke in the history of the world. I also know their pain. The ones that finished college, got the job, bought the house and dog in preparation for the future wife and kids AND THEN GOT AIDS. THAT IS DEVASTATING. I was very close to these guys. I knew their hopes and fears and smashed dreams. THAT WAS DEVASTATING. I lost kids as young as 8 and guys in their 60s. THAT WAS DEVASTATING. I took care of a lot up close and personal ending with Jonathan who if I could have taken the disease and let him live, I would have. That is how much I loved him, his wife and his daughters. THAT IS DEVASTATING. And I lost my own brother, my only brother, my protector from birth when he was only 24.

So am I devastated over material replaceable possessions??? PLEASE. I HAVE STATE FARM AND SERVICE MASTER TAKING CARE OF ME. I got with the only three non-replaceable things - the lives of me and my two pets.

So I ask you what is YOUR PERSONAL DEFINITION OF THE WORD "DEVASTATING"??

You learned well Grasshopper ...

How about an example?

I leave town, and an atomic bomb destroys my town and everyone in it.

I have heard people (my sister) use the term lightly. Someone's dog dies... she says.. "She was devastated."

She's a bit over dramatic.

DEVASTATING

Since we, as mind, process information, and the virtue of our processing is directly related to linguistic principles, DEVASTATING, is when one lies and is completely unaware of it.

We, as mind, have a job to do, DEVASTATING, is when we cannot do it, as our life depends upon it.

devastating is watching my father die with cancer when he was in his fifties, and seeing my stepfather with dementia and struggle as he forgets when he talked to my mom last and she is now in a nursing home. Devastating is seeing my mom on a ventilator and knowing my son is smoking. Devastating is a house full of stuff and knowing my parents will never return to be in their home again, and knowing I will have to go there myself and help go through stuff.

Here is an example where I would think the use of the word was appropriate. It happened next door to my place.

The home and business next door was completely burned down and this 70 year old woman's Son and daughter in law and grandson were killed. I took pictures of the fire.

It was devastating for her.

http://www.springfieldcolorado.com/fire-21.html

http://www.hometownfamilypark.com/


Rocky Mountain News:

"The firemen were just devastated."
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/nov/23/town-mourns-death-family-fire/

When my internet goes down for more than 30 seconds!

me too.

I am devastated if my coffee is not ready when I wake up in the morning. So are my children. They no likey mama before her coffee.

Sometimes it is when you have fought for a long time . . . and are just beyond exhaustion and cannot fight anymore. Sometimes it is just the act of admitting defeat.