ATCAAL

The above title is an acronym. Before I share its meaning with those of you who are feeling unenlightened, let me first explain the randomness of this post. While I was on the phone trying to figure out how to make a prior-year contribution to our HSA, I began to ponder the nature of acronyms. In the brief time I was on hold, (yes, I said brief, thank you Bank of America customer service--you could sure teach a thing or two to Delta) I came to the following conclusions:

• acronyms can be useful
• but first you have to figure out what they stand for (and no I can't tell you what HSA stands for, though I know what it is)
• unfortunately there are so many acronyms in this world that they are beginning to pile up like unrecyclables in the junk yard, and finally
  
• if you are the odd-one out in a gathering of professionals, acronyms may quickly become your arch nemesis

For instance, do you know what the acronyms CLAD or ELL stand for? Well, don't stop by a faculty meeting in a California school then. (ELL is California's version of ESL--more PC--agh! see, there's another one). So my acronymistic (yep, made that word up) title is short for: Acronyms Though Convenient Are Also Lame. I'm sticking with that opinion too, so don't even bother slamming me. It's all a little TMTH.