Cenomisozoiphobia

A rare Cat indeed!

Tropical cyclone Ului is drawing ever closer to the Queensland shore and the driving, centrifugal rain is forcing me indoors and somewhat introspectively again.

Cenosilicaphobia is a fear of an empty glass and a word that caught my eye while tasting a bottle of The Cenosilicaphobic Cat Sargantino Cinsault when visiting the d'Arenberg winery in McClaren Vale, South Australia recently. Although close to Adelaide where we lived in the late '80s I had not been there before and I enjoyed the lunch we had in the attached d'Arrys Verandah restaurant.It was very enjoyable indeed.

Coming to the end of our meal a retired colleague of our host/driver-guide for the day came over to say hello. Asked how retirement was suiting him he replied, 'Great mate. Every Tuesday lunch here. What more could a person need? Life is a glass half-full.'

And this is true. Yes there is enormous luck and privilege in being able to reach retirement in good health and consider life being a glass half-full. For many it is a glass half-empty and invokes an enormous fear.

CENOMESOZOIPHOBIA

Inspired by d'Arry's cat I have (I think?) derived a new word (or two new words) to describe that fear of a life half-lived. The first is cenomesozoiphobia (ceno-empty, meso-half, zoi-life or spirit) It is one I hope never to experience, or at least in the dark moments experience it as a very temporary event before tilting the glass of being back in my favour. Equally extending the half-glass metaphor for life a little further it could also be cenomesosilicaphobia.