‎"For some reason, I've always linked the idea of being cultured with the notion of having class. I realize they're two separate entities, yet in my mind they're inexorably tied." - Jennifer Lancaster

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

A Wednesday Morn Debacle

      So today as I was going about my daily routine, I encountered this person who debated me the pronunciation of a certain word.

     Now, let me clear something up: I'm not the sharpest tool in the shed but hot-damn I've got somethings going on, one of them being grammar, pronunciation and a heck of a vocabulary.

     With that being said, on with my story! So this... neanderthal... is debating the pronunciation of a word with me. Now, I live in the Rio Grande Valley and pronunciation isn't at the top of anyone's list of important anything down here so it's pretty safe to say the majority of the people don't speak English or Spanish correctly. I have a tendency to correct people, friends or foes, when they say something incorrectly not just to spite or embarrass them (at least not all the time) but because it's what I do. My mother does it to me all the time and I know she does it for my own good. I do it out of a reflex & it's gotten me in trouble before.

     This whole debacle got me to think how people don't care to speak correctly; and it's something that society, at least around here, seems to be OK with! Down here, no one corrects you when you say

- "Oiga sir, pa donde estan los bathrooms o estan outback por atras; ahi de que por behind?"

The response?

-"Nombre si estan ahi por atras del building. Nomas make sure que le hagas lock a la door porque no cierra asi all the way."

I'm sorry but that? Is not the way to talk. I got me sort of sad no, disappointed, that that it "normal" behavior. I for one refuse to fall into this vicious cycle of not-caring. In my book, you have two presentation cards.

1) Your appearance because no matter how many people say "looks don't matter" & "looks aren't important" know that you get judged based on how you look and I'm not talking fashion but clean, presentable and put together. It reflects how good or bad you take care of yourself and your body,

2) Your ability to successfully or unsuccessfully put together a cohesive thought. Your mind is the most important tool you can use everyday.

If you don't expand and grow your mind and actually care what comes out of your mouth then what are we doing?

-J. Saenz

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