So I have realised today that I am no longer allowed to say
awesome
I am sure we have had this conversation before, early in my blogging career my Mum said I used that word too often in my posts and that it made me look like an imbecile (she didn’t actually say that last bit, but it was implied.
It is on my mind again because last night I was lucky enough to go and see the great social commentator David Sedaris.
He writes creative non fiction. Mostly memoir, sometimes social observation, always funny. I have read most of his books and am seriously considering a subscription to the New Yorker magazine because of him.
Anyway, he read out a recent story about language and the phrases business travellers may need to know when in America. It was cutting and satirical and he went on endlessly about the utter uselessness of the word awesome. I can see his point. It can mean anything from just okay to brain shattering. Most commonly it is used by those in the service industry as an affirmation that they have heard what you have said, and therefore it has no real or valid point as a word anymore.
So I’m going to fine myself one dollar every time I use it. Either in general conversation or in writing. Knowing my track record of its use I am going to be very rich very soon.
The other thing I think I should do, and perhaps this is where all my awesome fines could go, is keep a handwritten journal. Daily.
Sedaris read excerpts from his own diary last night (and he did say some of it would be published eventually, yay) and he dates each entry and titles them with the place they were written. I suppose it’s a little easier for him though, every second entry is from some exotic location – Amsterdam, New York, Perth. Every entry included some witty one liner; an observation he had made or a conversation he had had. I do not travel nearly as extensively as he does, nor meet quite such varied people and so the repetition of the place (and probably the events) may become a little monotonous. It’s still a nice idea though.
The other great thing about last night, besides laughing my guts out and coming to this epiphany about the word awesome is that I got to hang out on Sydney Harbour at the Opera House with my family. My mum won’t let me take pictures of her (and I wouldn’t put one up of myself anyway) so you will have to make do with this.
That’s just the view from the inside of the building.
Coming up on my next blog: It’s almost time for that photo montage.
You Know How People Talk 