I like words. I like the history behind words. I like the nuances and subtleties of purposefully selecting one word over another in order to convey a highly specific meaning. I love to read words, write words, and learn new words daily.
In short, I'm a total nerd.
In a society that seems to embrace the evisceration of the written word-- replacing proper grammar with leet speak, unnecessary abbreviations, and trendy nonsense slang-- I still make a point to use the real words behind those meanings. I text in full, grammatically correct sentences. I utilize multisyllabic words, even when a monosyllabic one may suffice. My eye twitches whenever someone uses the improper version of to/too/two, your/you're, their/there/they're, etc. I refuse to use words like "bae", "turnt", and "on fleek". I do not shorten sentences down to "lol" or "omg". And don't even get me started on the sheer laziness of using numbers to replace words. It does not take that much longer to type the actual letters. And yes, I'm am a self-proclaimed Grammar Nazi.
To me, the vernacular choices I make reflect my manner of thinking, the things I've read, and my thirst for knowledge. Honestly, my vocabulary seems normal to me; the words I utilize are part of my everyday conversations and trains of thought. I like to challenge myself, to keep learning, to keep my mind active.
Because of this, I'm frequently accused of being pretentious.
This used to bother me.
Greatly.
I hated the thought of being seen as a hoity toity book snob. I felt judged and misunderstood.
But you know what? I'm good with it now!
Because I'm saddened by the dumbing down of our society. I'm disappointed to see intelligence derided and devalued for the sake of fleeting celebrity trends. I don't harp on the immutable use of language, because I understand that language is, in and of itself, fluid and ever changing. But I also uphold the importance of challenging ourselves to learn and grow, and not become mentally complacent. Does this make me old fashioned? Possibly. Does it make me pretentious? That's for others to decide. Anyone who knows me personally understands I'm not a snob. I'm just a booknerd writer who loves the complexities of language.
However, the assumptions others make about me based solely on my manner of speaking and writing does provide one other benefit beyond my wit, learning aptitude, and intelligence... the title for this blog!
So follow along as this pretentious pedant employs her extensive and highly diversified jargon to provide thoughtful commentary on the world around her whilst finishing her forthcoming novel...
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