Farewell to Transparency

We bid farewell to our trusted friend, transparent, and all of its forms, including my personal favorite, transparency. Transparent’s untimely passing came earlier today when another nameless, faceless politician feebly vowed to bring “further transparency” to some government action or matter of public interest. For a reason we shall never fully understand, this last abuse of definition was simply more than our overworked and misused friend could bear.

Perhaps transparent was too good for this world. His over-achieving heart finally gave out. We knew deep down it was simply impossible to make the clear passage of light more clear, to make things entirely visible more visible, to make something free from pretense or deceit more free, or to make things readily understood further understood. Yet, too many had irrational expectations for transparent and too many untenable modifiers were placed before this kind word.

Before we say our final goodbyes, I would like to share a few thoughts shared by one of transparent’s good friends. Unique was unable to join us as she too is suffering from mangled definition abuse.

“Transparent, may you make the leap to the hereafter with the grace you lived in this language. I may join you soon as it becomes increasingly difficult for me to live up to the unreasonable expectations of modern English. It once was good enough to be the only one or without equal. I know not how to be more without equal or more one-of-a-kind. It is a cruel death to have your life’s meaning stripped away with each careless stroke of the pen or wag of the tongue. I am suffering the indignity of being redefined like so many words who have gone before have. While a few dictionary writers insist it is acceptable to update my definition to include the word unusual, I am not sure I have the fortitude to live the rest of my days in the company of vague words such as fairly. I applaud you for standing up to these bullies and making a dignified exit. Thank you for sharing yourself with us, for being you, and for making us see each other as we were intended. I am not sure how we will manage in your absence.”

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Graham Gillette can be reached at grahamgillette@gmail.com 

This entry was first published as a Des Moines Register online essay.