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Pell-Mell Across the Morass and Into the Melee

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Flee the Fray and Other Word Play

Pell-mell is a great word, akin to willy nilly, or helter-skelter, before the latter was ruined by giving that name to the movie involving an American tragedy. But melee… while that sounds melodic and enchanted, its meaning is actually quite opposite.

Melee is our word for this essay, along with pell-mell and morass. So if you’re rusty on the meaning of any of these words, here’s a refresher as we’re using it here.

Meaning of Pell-Mell, Morass and Melee

First, let’s refresh ourselves on the meaning of these quasi similar words of pell-mell, morass and melee. And… if it feels a bit redundant, that’s intentional, not just from a writer’s fun at word play and alliteration, but also because of the intent in emphasis of the message. Though allowable given the optional placement as noun, adjective or adverb, and or course, creative license.

Meaning of Pell-Mell

  • Adverb – disorderly; hastily reckless; jumbled mass
  • Adjective – indiscriminate; chaos; disorder; confusion; rash
  • Noun – a confused crowd; jumbled mass; disorderly throng

Pell Mell Synonyms

  • Chaos
  • Full-tilt
  • Haphazard
  • Hastily
  • Headlong
  • Heedlessly
  • Helter-skelter
  • Impetuously
  • Precipitously
  • Rashly
  • Recklessly
  • Thoughtlessly
  • Willy Nilly

Meaning of Morass

A Noun, morass is any confusing or troublesome situation, especially an entanglement from which it is difficult to free oneself.

A morass can be a marshy, bog or swamp, or a thicket of brambles, or other circumstances where one can get stuck, entangled or bogged down.

Morass Synonyms

  • Chaos
  • Confusion
  • Jam
  • Knot
  • Muddle
  • Quagmire
  • Snarl
  • Tangle

Meaning of Melee

A noun meaning chaotic hand-to-hand fight or struggle involving several or more people. Turmoil, jumble, morass. 

Melee Synonyms

  • Brawl
  • Brouhaha
  • Clash
  • Fracas
  • Fray
  • Ruckus
  • Rumble
  • Scuffle
  • Tussle

Pell Mell, Melee, and Morass in a sentence

The angry spectator plowed pell-mell into the melee along with other sports fans embroiled in the morass of helmets, fists and feet.

Okay! Now that we’re refreshed and on the same page — literally and figuratively — let’s continue.

From Pell-Mell to Peace is Possible With Practice

If you’re a regular reader then you probably already have an idea of what I’m going to say about this, because the way there is paved by so many others before us. And it works.

Redundancy and repetition (see there it is again) is required when it’s something important to learn and incorporate as second nature. We all need reminders — and to set up our own system of reminders, accountability and immersion — until reframing and transmutation become habitual. ESPECIALLY when there are forces in our face (if we tune into the media) pulling us pell-mell into the fray.

Be Wary of Anger and Negativity

Be wary of anger. Be wary of anything resembling hate. And be wary of resentment, resend-ment that returns and smoulders negativity within us to fester and pollute our inner environment.

We cannot fix every indignity, fear, anger, injustice or ugliness we see or experience “out there”.

But we need not add fuel to the fires, by reacting, proliferating and perpetuating it.

We need not allow it to distract us from our focus on goals and purpose.

Instead, we can focus on our growth… on that next thing within ourselves that we want to improve…. the next goal to achieve, for that is the thing we can affect the most. That is what will enrich our lives and the lives of others.

We make progress and gain strength by noting our reactions and transmuting any reciprocal aspect within us through positive transformative thoughts and actions.

“Resentment makes us the host of negativity. To release it sets us free.”
~LeAura Alderson, creator iCreateDaily.com ®

Quote on resentment and how to release resentment sets us free.
Balloons released – Photo by Ankush Minda on Unsplash

Avoid the Dark Side

As Yoda advised:

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
~Yoda in Star Wars I, The Phantom Menace 1999

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.
~Yoda in Star Wars I, The Phantom Menace 1999
Image by jhathome from Pixabay

How to Move Away From the Morass and Melee

We creators can create greater transformation for ourselves and others through creation and optimism. Through understanding, compassion and empathy. For those who identify as empaths, you have to be all the more diligent in guarding your tender heart, for it aches for all. You ache for the discord and experience great distress from it — and can become entangled in it.

It’s akin to the way a parent is distressed by the suffering of her children and the squabbling amongst siblings. Siblings in the family of humanity are squabbling, and it is distressing.

Be the stoic and understanding parent. For reinforcement of that mindset I imagine the kind face of the Dalai Lama, or the compassion of Mother Teresa. Another icon is the “hugging guru”, Mātā Amritānandamayī Devī, better known simply as Amma, loving humanity through her heart-to-heart tenderly engulfing hugs. 

On a Lighter Note

Or, for comic relief, I bring to mind the comic character, Drax, (superhuman characters) from the Guardians of the Galaxy movies that I’ve seen with the kids. In one battle scene, Drax gets dragged behind a crashing spacecraft, where he’s banged into tree after tree before finally crashing to the ground. When Drax finally hits the ground, his response is unexpected.

It’s more funny when you know the brawny undaunted personality of the character. But this short clip excerpted might still give you enough of an idea for the gist and a chuckle if you’d care to check it out.

The Drax scene starts immediately (is actually already underway in this clip and goes to 1:26 minutes mark featuring the big tattooed guy and his really bad day, but his concluding attitude and remark are priceless.

The Inner Environmentalist

We each have the master switch for our own inner environment, but most don’t know where it is or how it works.

Please remember, we are humanity under construction, and there are none of us who can cast the first stone, (“let ye who are without sin…”). None of us who are perfect, exempt, or without failings. 

The more aligned you are with purpose and creation, the less you will be impacted and rattled by the morassy mess of the melee.

Protect Yourself

Do not let the nasty noise distract you from YOUR goals and YOUR purpose. Focus on the positive things you CAN do in your life… to move you closer to your goals and in alignment with your soul.

Protect yourself — and those around you — by steadfast reorienting to positivity the moment you feel negativity, fear, etc. It may look like society is collapsing, but remember… it’s just a messy jobsite, for we are after all, “humanity under construction.” We are not “humanity arrived”… not yet a world of wise elders.

We are in the summer of the seasons of life of humanity and it’s hot, bugs and pests are out and afflict the garden, metaphorically (and actually). The garden’s a mess with weeds and wild growth and feels out of control, but it’s also flourishing with abundant harvests and glorious growth.

Elevate your vision to the horizon of your goals. Identify your next steps in that direction and proceed energetically, optimistically and joyfully!

When we clean up our inner environment, we will see our outer one reflecting that clearing.

Creation over consumption… contribution over confusion… faith over fear.

Power & connectivity in India looks like chaos, and yet it works more often than not. Have faith in human ingenuity and resiliency.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com ®

Power & connectivity in India looks like chaos, and yet it works more often than not. Have faith in human ingenuity and resiliency.
~LeAura Alderson, writer, editor, creator iCreateDaily.com ®
Photo on left missing credit (please contact us if you know); Photo on right by Taylor Brandon on Unsplash

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