Auxiliarily (2024)

Then he started noticing the small things. The gulls that nested in the east crack—he began leaving fish scraps auxiliarily, to feed the fledglings. The weather station on the south cliff needed daily calibration; he did it auxiliarily, as a favor. The young biologist who visited once a month to count seals forgot her spare batteries—Elias had a drawer full, offered auxiliarily.

The old lighthouse keeper, Elias, had spent forty years as the main actor on his rocky island. His job was primary, essential, absolute: turn the great lens, trim the wick, sound the foghorn. He was the law. auxiliarily

Sometimes, he realized, the most important role is the one that only matters when everything else falls apart. And that is no small thing. Then he started noticing the small things

Since "auxiliarily" is a somewhat rare adverb (meaning "in a manner that provides support or assistance"), writing a blog post about it requires framing it correctly. The word often appears in technical, linguistic, or philosophical contexts, but it can also be applied to productivity and lifestyle. The young biologist who visited once a month