I never thought much about the word “almost” until this week when my friend Becky called it to my attention.

Becky is a talented singer and musician who writes many of her own songs. Someone mentioned to her how the word “almost” was one of those small but mighty words that could change everything.

“I think I’ll write a song about it,” Becky said.

OK, I’ll join the fun,” I promised. “I’ll write a column about almost.”

It’s impossible to pin down whether “almost” is a good or bad thing. It can be either.

Think about watching the lottery to see if you had the right numbers. If you had all but one number, the word “almost” could mean the difference between missing out on a really big payoff or having all your lottery dreams come true.

You almost did it.

In a big race, almost can mean the difference between winning or not quite doing it.

So, in that case, would you feel great because you tried hard and almost won? Or, would you be disappointed you didn’t quite pull it off.

See that. The meaning you give to “almost” can definitely have layers of personal meaning depending on your outlook, your disposition and point of view at the moment.

That reminds me about going fishing with my dad. If we were sitting in a boat under the hot sun and didn’t get a nibble, I would get discouraged and want to move to a different location. But when there’s a tug on my line indicating I have a catch I’m excited. If the fish gets away and there is nothing on the line when I pull it in, then that “almost” would encourage me to stay there a longer. Having that nibble would show me fish were down there. All I had to do was be patient and keep trying.

I’m definitely a positive kind of person. For most things, I would regard “almost” as encouraging, even celebratory. Here’s one example of that from my past.

When I read there was going to be big theatrical contest in Scranton, I learned there were going to be acting exercises where hopefuls were invited to try out to win a free trip to New York City and a chance to appear in a play there.

I’ve always loved being in plays. From the time I was 10 I enjoyed being cast for a part in a weekly radio show. It was exciting “being on the inside” and learning how the studio creates sounds.

After high school I also did a lot of community theater and always got a kick out of being in as show.

The notice said we could audition using any piece that best showed our talent. I wanted to do it and picked the death scene from “St. Joan of Arc” for my audition. There were a lot of people trying out, with hopeful actors of all ages.

It was an exciting day for me and the ending was even more exciting. I took second place. First place won the New York trip. Second place was definitely an “almost’ event with no grand prize.

I honestly didn’t care. At that point I had never been to New York and absolutely had no desire to go. The fellow who won the trip was an actor looking for his break. I was happy for him.

How did I feel about my “almost” experience? I was thrilled.

I was a small town newspaper writer working for a newspaper I loved. As far as I was concerned, I had the perfect job. I tried out as a lark. I wanted to see how I made out in all that competition. As far as I was concerned, the day couldn’t have gone any better.

To me, that “almost win” was thrilling, something I never forgot.

One of my girlfriends said, Come on, tell the truth. You have to be disappointed you didn’t win the New York trip. No, absolutely not. One doesn’t have to be on top to relish the experience.

So I guess I have a different perspective on “almost.” I believe it can be encouraging or heartbreaking, depending on your own interior makeup.

Sometimes “almost” can mean the difference between life and death. If you’re crossing a street and a car zips around the corner just about hitting you, you can shake off an almost hit. Even though you may be shook up, you would probably consider yourself lucky not to end up in the hospital.

When I first started to write down what comes to mind when I hear the word “almost,” I wrote down mostly positive meanings. I wrote almost is an awareness of more to come.

I see it as a positive word with more upcoming potential.

You know what the old song says: Little things mean a lot.

That’s certainly true when it comes to many meanings one can find in the six-letter word, Almost. It was fun to think about all the ramifications.

Now I’m looking forward to seeing the song my friend Becky writes.

What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about the word Almost?

Is it positive or negative?

Jot down your thoughts. If you’re feeling creative, you could even wrote a short story or poem.

Email Pattie Mihalik at newsgirl@comcastnet