Remember when we were children and we had our indoor voice and outdoor voice ? I do. Mom and the teachers didn't call it that exactly, think that was an invention of terms from sesame street, but the concept was the same. Children tend to turn up the volume wherever they are. Teenagers tend to rattle their eardrums ! Now I've noticed a similar experience with myself, except it is with my writing. I seem to have a writing vocabulary and my everyday vocabulary. Also my method of expression is quite a bit different. I would characterize my speech as colloquial.I would think that is normal enough but I wonder if an incorrect representation of myself is being portrayed. If that is the case , it is unintentional.
Some of you I went to school with a few years back. Well, perhaps more than a few years have passed, but nonetheless perhaps you remember me from those days. If so, I'm sure you would realize my everyday speech would come nowhere close to what I write. I'm positive some of you had a much larger vocabulary than I and spoke with quite a bit less influence of dialect. I do wonder why this is ? Why would my writing not reflect my everyday speech ? Other than it would be difficult to spell all the slang and nuance of dialect I have no other explanation. Perhaps on some level I wish to present a different personality altogether. One of the educated upper class. Was this personality suppressed in my youth ? Certainly there was some resentment toward those that spoke more eloquently than myself. I felt they held a sense of superiority over me. Perception or reality ? Most likely a little of both.
I read other's postings and wonder the same thing. Is this their normal way of speaking ? I do see some postings full of abbreviations and whatever you would call those " code " word things. Things like LOL. I understand that is a means of trying to convey emotions. What about you ? Does your writing,whether it be a letter or Facebook posting, accurately reflect your everyday speech ? Or, do you, like I, tend to dress it up a little bit ? Another driving factor is to whom you are speaking.
I'm thinking that maybe it has something to do with the permanence of the written word. Years from now, if by chance, someone should read my words I would hope to leave a favorable impression. A great deal of the time it matters not so much what you say, as the eloquence with which you say it. Don't think so ? Listen to a politician. Or a lawyer pleading his case. I prefer my writing voice but it wouldn't fare well in my real world. I would definately get some strange looks and probably cause some concern to those that know me.
And so I bid you ado, I leave you to ponder my existential musings.
Some of you I went to school with a few years back. Well, perhaps more than a few years have passed, but nonetheless perhaps you remember me from those days. If so, I'm sure you would realize my everyday speech would come nowhere close to what I write. I'm positive some of you had a much larger vocabulary than I and spoke with quite a bit less influence of dialect. I do wonder why this is ? Why would my writing not reflect my everyday speech ? Other than it would be difficult to spell all the slang and nuance of dialect I have no other explanation. Perhaps on some level I wish to present a different personality altogether. One of the educated upper class. Was this personality suppressed in my youth ? Certainly there was some resentment toward those that spoke more eloquently than myself. I felt they held a sense of superiority over me. Perception or reality ? Most likely a little of both.
I read other's postings and wonder the same thing. Is this their normal way of speaking ? I do see some postings full of abbreviations and whatever you would call those " code " word things. Things like LOL. I understand that is a means of trying to convey emotions. What about you ? Does your writing,whether it be a letter or Facebook posting, accurately reflect your everyday speech ? Or, do you, like I, tend to dress it up a little bit ? Another driving factor is to whom you are speaking.
I'm thinking that maybe it has something to do with the permanence of the written word. Years from now, if by chance, someone should read my words I would hope to leave a favorable impression. A great deal of the time it matters not so much what you say, as the eloquence with which you say it. Don't think so ? Listen to a politician. Or a lawyer pleading his case. I prefer my writing voice but it wouldn't fare well in my real world. I would definately get some strange looks and probably cause some concern to those that know me.
And so I bid you ado, I leave you to ponder my existential musings.
Ok...WHO are YOU....and WHAT have you done with BEN?!!!!
ReplyDelete