i've been thinking quite a bit about words and how we use them and how they use us. the ones i choose most often seem inoccuous...they wouldn't hurt anyone or me if i heard them. but the problem with that theory is that i have infused them with the meaning i intend and those may not be clearly understood by the receiver's ear. it's difficult to come up with examples, but i think many of you can relate. i often feel as though i spend a good deal of time explaining what i meant to say. how can that be? we all speak the same language, generally, and they say that we may only use a fraction of the vocabulary available to us so really we have a small cache of words to choose from in any given situation. my goal is to, at the very least, be precise.in grade school i knew a prissy girl (okay, i knew a number of prissy girls, but there was one in particular) who aimed to correct everyone elses' english language transgressions. whenever anyone would say, "oh, wait a second!" she would retort, "oh, a second is up. you should have said 'wait a moment!'" it was very disquieting. each and every time it occurred, i'd avert my eyes to convey my embarassment for the prissy girl. she didn't realise how very rude she was being. that being said, ever since, i do try to say, "moment" instead of "second."
i just want those around me to know how i feel about them and not be confused. honestly, it's just my tender gratitude for sharing their lives with me i want them to grasp. love is a simple word really.
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