Ok, it’s time for the ROW80 check-in. I missed the last one
due to a power outage compounded with a few personal issues. Argh, I hate it
when life gets in the way of my writing. Sigh. We’ll just call this week a fail
up to now and focus on catching up by next Sunday. Oh well time for something in a different
vein.
Recently I have come under a bit of criticism for my
excessive use of terms of endearment in my writing. I’ve also been chastised
for not using enough contractions. Ok, fair enough, I do use a lot of terms of
endearment, but language is a truly beautiful thing. By being conscious of the
way we speak, and deliberately manipulating that, we can create beautiful
things. Here’s an example of a conversation I heard long ago out west.
A man walks into a coffee shop where he has not been before.
The girl behind the counter is a stranger to him.
Girl. “What’ll ya have?”
Man. “Coffee, black. Make it snappy.”
“For here or to go?”
“To go.”
“Buck fifty please. Thank you, have a nice day.”
“Right.” Man walks out.
Now, let’s do it again as it would happen in Newfoundland.
Girl. “Yes m’love, what’ll it be today?”
Man. “Tall and black, my darling. I’m a bit pushed for
time.”
Girl. “For here or to go?”
“To go.”
“There you go, my ducky. That’s a dollar fifty. Thanks Luv,
have a great day now.”
“Bless your heart, my darling.” Man walks out.
I have been asked many times why people stay in
Newfoundland, the climate is hard and life isn’t always easy, but people always
want to go back there, why? Well the use of language is one reason, I’m sure.
Those lilting voices and gentle terms of endearment are a big draw, definitely
one of the reasons I stay here.
So I give you this, if you want a loving and happy life,
speak loving and happy words. It is easy to be cynical or negative, but it
breeds more of the same. Use the words
you speak each and every day to create a beautiful and loving life for
yourself. Go ahead, try it. What have you got to lose?
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