By Joe F. Stierheim Words are wonderful things. They transmit ideas and concepts, explain things, express requests and thanks, offer apologies and make understandable an infinite number of human needs and emotions. The use of words can be an art as much as painting or music, indeed the good use of words can be a delight to the senses, music to the ear. But just as constant repetition can ruin one’s liking for a particular song, the same is true of a word. That has come to be the case for me in regard to the word “awesome”. What caused the popular liking for the word awesome I don’t know, but it has captured the imagination of people from all walks of life. It is used to describe everything from scenery to objects to pets and people to events to emotions. After I have heard the umpteenth repetition of its use, it becomes grating on my ears, and eventually becomes so implanted in my mind that it becomes impossible to remove it. Like a tune that is on a hamster’s exercise wheel, it spins round and round in my head. I want to holler at the next person I hear using it, “It is NOT awesome! USE ANOTHER WORD!” Ah, suppose that could be done. Suppose every person with the inclination to use the A-word could come to realize the error of his or her ways and would then take the responsibility to use another, more appropriate word. Suppose each of these people would make the effort to become familiar with words that accurately fit what they are trying to describe. Can you imagine the variety of description that this could provide to daily conversation? Suppose even further that people could get into the habit of becoming aware of their use of words and found ways to make their language more meaningful, more expressive, more imaginative. What poetry that might evoke! How much more colorful and satisfying our conversation – indeed our daily lives – could be. That would be awesome. |
