2.
The drone of a pandit rushing through a standard Hindu wedding
ceremony at close to Concorde speeds shows how little we care for what
is said, just as long as it is said! In front of witnesses! The said witnesses, just
by the way, are busy socialising noisily among themselves while only the bride,
her groom, and both sets of parents are seriously interested in the nuptial proceedings!
One wedding! Owned! Checked! Whatever!
3.
In classrooms (in schools and colleges and especially in Establishments of Higher
Education), words are tossed about carelessly, aimlessly, casually, thoughtlessly, generally,
especially during presentations. Or even when a student is obliged to answer a simple
question asked by the hapless teacher! “Umm … well ….. that is …. I mean ….. ahmm
…you know …” : these, by my research, show up at the top of the list of “fillers” which take
up space / occupy seconds and minutes in timed presentations! These are the bogeymen
for which I steadily deduct marks, mentally rubbing my paws together in satisfaction!
I believe this ostentatious display of noise (for I refuse to call them words) comes from a lack
of serious thought processes. Normally, a person thinks, and then expresses those thoughts
through the accepted codes of sounds we call languages! But what do you process /
organise when there is very little thought process going on? You spout inanities / fillers /
noises which your interlocutor is supposed to accept as a standard response in a language
you share! And once those inanities / fillers / noises are out, you have done your job and you
can safely go back to chilling / grooving / whatever kids these days do during a class!
Is there a solution to this malady-of-pandemic proportions?
I believe there is!
Read at least three good novels written by authors who know what they are doing!
And come back to this column next month, when I shall reveal all!