Just a thought – about the words we use
No Comments »10th December, 2007; Category: Just a Thought
I was watching television a few days ago when something the news reader said made me stop and think. Dangerous action I know – but someone’s gotta do it.
It was a short break in the programme where they give a news update – just the headlines. It’s a teaser, designed to make you keep watching until the full news broadcast commences. The news reader said something like: “See you at six.”
No you won’t.
My television set is reasonably good, but nowhere is there a camera embedded enabling the news reader to actually “see” me. At least, I hope there isn’t one (not that I ever sit in front of the television in an undressed state, mind you). I will be seeing the news readers but they will not be seeing me. So why do they say it?? It does not make sense.
How are you?
I’m not sure what the habit is in other countries, but here in Australia in the last decade, the common phrase most people use when the see you is, “How are you?” For most people this is their opening gambit – a bit like their brain is saying, “Ooops, here is a person I really should take time to talk to, but I don’t know what to say.” It’s almost like their brain has gone into meltdown mode. It annoys the heck out of me.
About a decade ago the editor of our church newsletter wrote these incredible words: “”How are you” is a greeting, not an inquiry about your state of health.” What a silly thing to say. How can it possibly be a greeting? Beats the heck out of me, yet so many people do it.
What is wrong with saying “Good to see you”? And what about “Isn’t it a lovely/lousy/ horrible/spectacular day”? You could always start by saying, “It’s been so long since we’ve spoken.” Or if that is not the case you could always smirk and say, “We must stop meeting like this. People will begin to talk about us.”
This particular greeting has reached almost epidemic proportions on talk-back radio here in Australia. I’d say that at least 90% of callers start off by saying to the host, “How are you?” If they had been listening to the host they would most likely have heard the answer at least a hundred times already. Aaaaah!
See ya later
Just to show that I am not immune to this verbal diarrhoea, last week I caught myself using another meaningless phrase. I must admit I use it far too often. I was on my courier rounds (as a relief driver) and I caught myself saying as I left each business – not once, but many times – “See ya later.”
No I won’t. Chances are I’ll never see some of those people ever again. So why do I say it?
Beats the heck out of me.
Talk to you soon.
In the meantime – good writing – and watch what you say (and write).
Further reading
- This is another in my “Just a Thought” series of articles. Read more here.
Short Fiction #39 “George”
George
George didn’t know why he was there. Or how he had got there. Well, actually he knew the method of getting there – several plane flights and then non-stop climbing for several weeks. Though it seemed like an eternity. The guides had said it was a trek. What an understatement. It was a trial, an endurance test, massive torture and very demanding.
If I had to guess it probably started several years ago. His best friend Kevin challenged him to go on this crazy trip. It had taken all his resources to get to this point; money, time, physical effort and mental capacity. Climbing a mountain in this country didn’t come cheaply. The essential equipment was heavy and they needed extra helpers to get all their stuff up the mountains.
Time had been the biggest expense. Nearly two years of special training took huge chucks out of his already tight schedule. Physically it had cost him about ten kilograms of weight, not that he minded that part of the preparation. Emotionally it had been a roller coaster. Gradually the days of doubt were outweighed by the days of eager anticipation.
George stood on the edge of a rocky outcrop. He was trying to catch his breath. The crisp, cold air made that just a little harder. The air felt super chilled against the sweat from all that physical exertion. He lingered a little longer than the others in his party.
“Is it worth it?” he muttered softly. He stared at the peak in front of him. He took in all the crags and rocky outcrops, the brilliant snow-covered peak, the deep shadows in the gullies and the azure sky above.
“Yes,” he answered to himself. “Yes, all that effort has been worth it.”
All rights reserved.
Copyright 2007 Trevor W. Hampel
Read more of my short stories here.
Page revised and updated in August 2015.
Scene from our lodge in Monjo, Nepal
Writing prompt #1 – Alphabet Soup
Are you looking for a writing prompt? Or a writing challenge?
One of the staff of Writers’ Digest has issued a writing challenge:
Write a 26 word story where every word begins with a different letter of the alphabet.
That might sound easy – but I tried – and ran out of steam somewhere around the letter Q. It is not as easy as it sounds. Most contributors have followed strict alphabetical order (eg Albert beat Connie doing elegant flips…etc). Last time I checked one contributor had used the letters in a random order. There are no other rules.
Submit your mini-masterpieces here. Entries close in a few days.
If you miss out there, you could always submit them here on my blog through the comments section.
Mmmm – now how can I finish that story?
Albert beat Connie doing elegant flips. Greta hesitated. I just knew….
Never mind – I just cannot seem to go any further – and make sense. The poor old brain is in melt down mode.
What I learned from… cricket
5 Comments »6th December, 2007; Category: Group writing projects
Group writing project: This post is my contribution to Robert Hruzek’s group writing project over at his blog called Middle Zone Musings. Head over there to read all about this project, and how you can participate. Have a go – it’s fun.
The World of Cricket
I am writing about the game called cricket – not the insect. If you want to know more about this fascinating game check out the Wikipedia entry here. Cricket is a game first played centuries ago in England and now throughout the Commonwealth (that is, countries that were colonised by Britain).
It is extremely popular in countries such as England, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. It also has a large following in places like Nepal, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Fiji and even in Canada and the United States.
Prominent players, especially in India, are treated like gods and are often multi-millionaires from sponsorship and match payments. Even in countries with a modest population such as Australia, top players are very wealthy. Always with the abundance of money there is corruption, usually in the form of match fixing.
A cricket tragic
I freely acknowledge that I have a serious problem; I am a cricket tragic. I try to watch every game televised here in Australia. I’ve been known to sit up until 3am or later watching coverage of matches from England. I’ve recorded long slabs of matches on video for playback later. I devour the sporting columns in the papers, subscribe to cricket magazines, collect cricketing books and videos and study the statistics of prominent players. I remember more anecdotes about cricketing events than I do about family events of significance. I have attended major matches both here and interstate, but not yet overseas (but give me time).
Despite all that, I cannot play the game to save myself, hence the moniker “cricket tragic.” Sure – I know all the theories about how to bat, how to bowl, how the field, strategies of winning a game and so on. My inability to put it all into practice on the field has been a major frustration in my life. [Sigh]
What I have learned from cricket
- You do not have to be good at something to appreciate it: I may not be able to play the game very well, but I sure enjoy and appreciate all the subtleties and nuances and strategies of the game. Life application: when someone inspires me I need to appreciate that person.
- Being a team member is crucial: A game of cricket, like all team sports, cannot be won singlehandedly. Sure, individuals can and do make amazing performances that “win” the match. Without the other team members it would not have been possible. Life application: do my bit for the team; I may be only a small cog but every cog in a machine is essential.
- Life is a marathon, not a sprint: Games of cricket can last for five days of six hours play each day – without a result. Some of these are deadly boring but in recent years I’ve seen some incredibly exciting draws played out over the full five days with the result hanging in the balance to the very end. None of the players ever give up trying, giving their all to win at all costs. Life application: success only comes through long, hard hours and days and weeks and years of effort.
- Life is often not very fair: It is true that the expression “It’s not cricket” means a sense of fair play is paramount and derives from cricket, supposedly the sport of gentlemen. (This is a very outdated expression from the 1800s. It never was a truism; bribery, game fixing and corruption was as rife in those days as it is today.) Players and umpires make mistakes and the result may not be what you deserve. Good players put the disappointing decision behind them and play on; poor players spit the dummy. Life application: life will deal you many bad deliveries. Get over them and get on with life.
A glorious experience
I should be fair to myself. I did have one glorious experience playing cricket. The game was on a knife edge. One wicket to fall with the batting side only requiring four runs to win. I was fielding on the boundary, some eighty metres from the wicket. The batsman hits the ball hard in my direction. It’s heading for the boundary and certain victory. Instantly I swoop on the ball and gracefully throw it at the wicket, shattering the stumps on the full and running out the batsman, thus winning the game for my side. The crowd erupts in amazement and I’m carried off the field by my team mates.
Postscript: the whole truth
Well, it didn’t quite happen like that. Sure – I did hit the stumps from that distance during a game, but was a Sunday School picnic and the game was only a social event with no scores being kept.
Sure would have been nice to have been carried off the field though.