Streaming
by Kym on February 25, 2007
I can’t recall the last time I indulged in a stream of consciousness post. They used to be my hallmark, but have dissipated in a wave of cute anecdotes and tell all photos. Not that these things are bad, as such. They’re an intrinsic part of Happy Kim, that rather annoyingly manic gal with the tendency to use exclamation marks all the time.
I used to shun that form of punctuation. I’d read a line in one of my favourite Terry Pratchett books…something to the effect of multiple exclamation marks being the one sure sign of a disturbed mind. That combined with the fact that my first love, a witty brit with a dendency towards sarcasm, fairly dripped with disdain when I indulged, and I was soon converted to anti-exclamationism.
They came to embody for me the lazy use of language that permeates the world today. Don’t bother expressing your feelings in words…no…just tack on an exclamation mark and they’ll deduce how excited you are.
So for years I fixated on exclamation marks as one of the great evils of our generation. It was some time before I realized the irony of my situation. I was so focused on this one bit of punctuation, and so long as my writing didn’t contain any, I was content.
Spelling? Grammar? Proper word use? Faugh. So long as those horrid little marks didn’t pepper my paper, all was well in my warped little world.
I suppose I could have attatched myself to better causes. But punctuation doesn’t hurt the heart the way politics, enviromental lobbying and charitable pursuits do. I chose the safe road. Better not start caring about something important.
One of my favourite lines is, “I’m glad I don’t understand the world, if I did, I might feel obligated to do something about it.”
Do you know who said that? Come now…take a guess…
You got it. It was me.
I’ve changed enormously since my university days. I still wince every time I use an exclamation mark (force of habit), but I use them freely now.
I think having children is the greatest factor in this change. So many causes and concerns pale in comparison to the realization that I have two small beings to raise. The things I need and want to teach them are so varied and numerous…exclamation marks just don’t enter into it.
Now was that a ramble or was that a ramble?
14 comments
I love your ramblings and your exclamation marks if you so choose to use them. Please ramble more often.
Please also note the use of periods only in this comment. No little vertical lines top my dots.
by An Ordinary Mom on February 25, 2007 at 6:23 am. #
“tell all photos”, that’s what I’m talking about.
I tend to over use these –> ()
I love them (they are the extra thoughts of the “other” me).
For a rambling post, this was pretty good (yay).
by No Cool Story on February 25, 2007 at 6:45 am. #
I am also an over user of the old exclamation mark. I know it is not the done thing, but often feel teh need to let people know I am yelling, severely irritated or being sarastic(sigh). I am also a terrible editor, pressing publish before I have had a chance to see the words I have typed, rather only reading what was supposed to be written – it is a learning curb. Pity “comments” don’t have the spell check option, but then I do rabbit on.
by strauss on February 25, 2007 at 7:29 am. #
I’m a recovering English snob! I don’t mind exclamation marks nearly as much as I do the over proliferation of LOL! ROFL! LMAO! One lady in our homeschool group peppers every e-mail with random LOL’s! If she really LOL’ed that much, she would need to be committed to a psychiatric institution A.S.A.P! Which leads me to laziness and the now rampant abbreviated acronyms standing in place of real, actual words! :)
:( :0 ^..^ is well on its way to extremely annoying levels! Although, I find myself using them uncontrollably sometimes!
I Heart Exclamation Marks Because I’m Disturbed!!!!!!
by elasticwaistbandlady on February 25, 2007 at 1:27 pm. #
That is hilarious. I am sure I over use exclamation marks. But, I like them! See? I guess you really never need more than one, but oh well…
Great ramble!!
by Tirzah on February 25, 2007 at 1:59 pm. #
Ah, I love a good ramble :D I like exclamation points, they are fun! I’m a terrible writer, without them you’d never know if I was excited or happy or anything!
by Kara on February 25, 2007 at 3:23 pm. #
Hope I didn’t offend any of you exclamationists out there!!!
Lucy – Remember I’m a -former- anti-exclamationist.
NCS – If you ever get a chance you might want to read “The Wee Free Men” by Terry Pratchett. Hilarious and deep at the same time, and a lot of it focuses on thought…second thoughts, third thoughts (the part of you that observes the other parts of you). It’s fascinatin’ stuff.
Strauss – I love it when commenters “rabbit on”. The longer the comment the more sroked my ego feels.
EWBL – Me too! I was an English major at University and it’s taken me years to undo the damage. I knew I was getting too extreme when I started correcting my friends’ grammar and spelling when they sent me e-mails. So partly to be a better friend, and partly because using proper grammar is really boring, I gave it all up.
Tirzah & Kara – !!!!!
by Kimberly on February 25, 2007 at 5:02 pm. #
“They say the heat and the flies here can drive a man insane. But you don’t have to believe that, and nor does that bright mauve elephant that just cycled past.”
-The Last Continent
Pratch, I’m quite certain, has written material so superior to everything else on the planet that I could never read again and be no worse for it.
by Demosthenes on February 25, 2007 at 7:27 pm. #
I echo your sentiments whole-heartedly. When asked the question what would I take out of a burning house I answer a) the fire (kudos to Walter Plinge for that one) or b) my Pratchett collection.
I know I ought to say my kids, my scriptures…maybe the photo albums…but really…
by Kimberly on February 25, 2007 at 11:00 pm. #
I’m not sure which was better… the post or the comments that followed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love my exclamation marks and do occasionally think about it when I add yet another one for fear that someone may become annoyed, but then I remember it’s my blog and no one has to read me that doesn’t want to…. so exclamate on friends!!
by Grace on February 26, 2007 at 1:51 am. #
That was a ramble! Well done! And not a single exclamation point! WOW!!!!!!!!!!
:)
by Tracey on February 26, 2007 at 3:31 pm. #
I love how you’re all having a good giggle at me -former- freakishness. I’m not punctuation prejudied any more! Really!!!
by Kimberly on February 26, 2007 at 5:25 pm. #
Feeling a little guilty. Rethinking everything I thought I knew to be true. Maybe I need to start studying my thesaurus so my writing will be more descriptive and less exclamatory. Now that my blog is linked by the local paper, I am feeling the pressure to write better. It’s stunting my creativity. I republished my Oscar night post 20 times and it still stinks.
Your stream of consciousness has opened a new door for me.
by Annie on February 26, 2007 at 6:35 pm. #
Annie – Good thing I didn’t attack sentence fragments. We’d all be hooped.
Why is it that when we’re given praise, compliments, honors, etc…we feel the need to be greater. Obviously you’re great as you are.
I wouldn’t bother reading your blog if your writing weren’t fabulous. Isn’t that enough for you??!!!!
by Kimberly on February 26, 2007 at 6:53 pm. #