Thursday, April 14, 2011

Romancing the Words

“They're all just slaves to the gods they made,” – James Blunt
Okay, I admit it; I am in love with words. Big words, little words, get inside of your head and annoy you the rest of the day words. I like to play with words, discover new ones, and find  inventive ways to implement them. At the risk of sounding like a hopeless book worm, I vehemently relish banter between creative minds. Unfortunately, most people look at me like I have twelve heads when I pop off with one of my newly discovered verbal gems. So where are “my” people hiding? While I have never been one to lose sleep over what people think about me, it would be nice to not have to dumb myself down just to participate in daily conversation.
Try as I might to downplay it, I am quite proud of the extensive vocabulary that I have developed and I relish any chance to flex my linguistic muscles. You can imagine this does not bode well for me in today’s idiotic society of texting abbreviations, misspelling improper utilizations, and the ever dreaded emoticon. Everyone loves a good slang term or pop culture vernacular but today’s society is being driven by uneducated reality stars with all the social etiquette of water rats. Need we wonder why educators are helpless against the dumbing down of America? The disease has gone viral and it’s spreading.
Well, I will not participate in this degradation. I will not contribute to the ignorance that has fueled this process. Being self-righteously proper has nothing to do with it, my road rage mouth has more venom than the Bronx cobra but people need to make some sort of effort to elevate their consciousnesses or we all are certainly doomed.
When I am feeling judgmental about this I return to the words and rekindle my longstanding romance. I know that if we stop romancing the words, we will eventually just find ourselves rambling to an unreceptive audience. The danger in this is that people have an innate need to be heard, understood and know that they are active contributors to something bigger than the confines of conversation. And while communication methods have certainly changed, providing unprecedented access, the power of words should not be taken for granted, ignored or left to the paid product placements of some celebrity’s vacant Twitter account. The way we speak is a direct reflection of the way we think and ultimately the way we live. Make sure your thoughts, your words, and your actions are your own.
(....dismounting soap box)

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