So Ordered

Two words. Simple. Easy to spell. By themselves just kind of ordinary. However when you place them side by side they are very powerful. On this edition of
Becoming Today” we’ll delve into this phrase of “So Ordered” and why it got stuck in my head. 

Yesterday I shared about some of those words that just seem to get stuck. Spinning around in our heads, they keep popping up until we recognize, acknowledge or deal with them. 

And you know what? The list of stuck words doesn’t end there. In fact it’s grown to include several phrases. More than a few words grouped together, my stuck phrases have evolved into significant concepts. 

Therefore I guess it is “So Ordered” that we begin our discussion with that expression.’s ust 

“So”, by itself is such a simple word, yet is responsible for a wide range of expressions in our daily lives. Just two letters, it almost at times seems like more  a syllable or a sound than words. Yet even when it just muttered it can add a lot to a conversation. 

So can be used to transition our time, as in ‘so, let’s move on with…” It can also encompass a wide range of emotions as in, “say it ain’t so, Joe”.

And with just a simple shift in pronunciation these same two letters, when expressed , as soooooo, adds an entirely different depth to it’s usage. “Like, okay then, um, soooooooo?” 

By definition, so is quite complex. It can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a conjunction, a noun, a pronoun, a combining form, an abbreviation and even a musical note.  In fact the Merriam Webster Dictionary offers 7 different entries for the so, with many alternatives leaving us with at least 28 recognized different meanings for these two letters when placed side by side. 

Here’s just a few of the examples:

so

/sō/

adverb

1. to such a great extent.: “the words tumbled out so fast that I could barely hear them” “don’t look so worried” “I’m not so foolish as to say that”.
2. to the same extent (used in comparisons).: “he isn’t so bad as you’d think” “without his parents’ support, he would not have done so well”.
3. referring back to something previously mentioned.
4. in the way described or demonstrated; thus.: “hold your arms so” “so it was that he was still a bachelor”.

conjunction

1. and for this reason; therefore.: “it was still painful so I went to see a specialist” “you know I’m telling the truth, so don’t interrupt”.
2. with the aim that; in order that.: “they whisper to each other so that no one else can hear”.
3. and then; as the next step.: “and so to the finals”.
4. introducing a question.: “so, what did you do today?”.
5. introducing a statement which is followed by a defensive comment.: “so I like anchovies—what’s wrong with that?”.
6. introducing a concluding statement.: “so that’s that”.
7. in the same way; correspondingly.: “just as bad money drives out good, so does bad art drive out the good”.

-so

combining form

suffix: -so

1. equivalent to -soever.

So.

abbreviation

symbol: So.

1. South.

And just as an aside, I learned that when used as a noun, the plural of so is sos, which can derive a whole different meaning yet. 

So that’s a lot of power for two little letters. And it’s only the first word in our phrase. So let’s get ready to see what happens when we add order into our discussion.

So just in case you forgot, our focus here on  “Becoming Today” is a phrase that’s been stuck in my head. The expression in full is “So Ordered”.  Therefore let’s advance to the second word, “ordered”.

Again a seemingly easily understood idiom, yet when placed in different contexts can have a wide array of meanings.  To begin with it can be a direction, a request or an arrangement. 

Or·der  /ˈôrdər/   verb

past tense: ordered past participle: ordered adjective: -ordered

1. give an authoritative direction or instruction to do something.: “she ordered me to leave” ““Stop frowning,” he ordered” “the judge ordered a retrial” “the court ordered that the case should be heard at the end of August” “her father ordered her back home”.
   synonyms: instruct, command, direct, enjoin, give the order to, give the command to, tell, require, charge, adjure, bid, decree, ordain, rule, legislate, lay down, dictate, prescribe, pronounce, determine, enact

2. request (something) to be made, supplied, or served.: “my friend ordered the tickets last week” “I asked the security guard to order me a taxi” “are you ready to order, sir?”.
   synonyms: request, apply for, send away/off for, write off for, put in an order for, place an order for, requisition, book, reserve, commission, contract for, bespeak

3. arrange (something) in a methodical or appropriate way.: “all entries are ordered by date” “her normally well-ordered life”.
   synonyms: organize, put in order, set in order, arrange, sort out, straighten out, marshal, dispose, lay out, regulate, group, classify, categorize, catalog, codify, systematize, systemize, tabulate, triage, methodize

Are you starting to see why some of these things keep lingering and dancing in my head? When an expression hits me like this one has, first I have to figure out what context it’s trying to bring my attention to.

Nine letters placed in a specific order and it’s potential is exponential.

Now that we have reached what is, I hope, a somewhat common understanding of the two words in the phrase individually, now let’s examine their combined focus and strengths. 

What led me to this expression most recently was its power as a resolution. It instituted  a correction to a lingering problem. With two simple words, just nine letters this phrase pronounced an undeniable truth. One that is freeing, enlightening and very “Becoming”. 

As the judge decreed, “So Ordered” I reached a new level of my destiny. 

Now not only respecting my privacy but that of others involved, I will not be sharing all the details, I will say that as we travel along this shared path of “Becoming Today” we all have our own twists and turns. My involvement with the court was a civil matter that I had sought a resolution for, for far too many years. In fact it was something necessary for me for several decades and yet it lingered, unanswered, unable to advance until we reached this time of Transformative Transition and it was quickly and suddenly resolved with just two words.

“So Ordered”. So healing. So freeing. So wonderful. So transformative. So “Becoming”.

So in legal terms my exact definition of “So Ordered” is as offered by Cornell Law School,  “A term used in case law and written at the end of a case or order of a court indicating or emphasizing that the preceding case or order is in fact ordered by the court.”

Straight forward. Pretty simple. Easy to understand yet so complex and diverse with what it both adds and takes away from my life, that there may not truly be enough words to fully explain my emotions surrounding it. 

I am so thankful for it. As it has also so ordered my continued “Becoming Today”. 

Two words that some might even describe as random expressions typed side by side, that have empowered me to continue my momentum of moving both forward and upward. Are allowing me to experience new levels of living. Plus are granting me more opportunities to share with you.

Is there something that you;ve been “so ordered” to do? To start? To “Become”? 

If so, order your process and  get busy. It doesn’t need to drag on endlessly. Seize the power of two simple words and uplift your life, consider yourself, “so ordered” to do so.

You can share your thoughts, comments or questions below. Or if you feel the need to communicate in a private confidential way, please reach out on the Contact page. I really do wish the best for each of you who finds these words and pray for you daily.

So putting some final order to this conversation, as I mentioned I’ve had several phrases get stuck in my head lately. Stop by again tomorrow and our discussion will become one of lovingly detaching.