To people with a strong affinity for correct grammar, I am categorically the worst person to text. I complete every vernacular faux pau at least once in conversation, whether it be misspelling a word, leaving proper nouns uncapitalized, excluding vital punctuation, or substituting homophones. When I first started texting, I would often blame this on convenience. I didn't have a smart phone, so it took a lot off effort to backspace and substitute words. However, once I got a phone where I didn't have to push physical buttons, and could move my cursor with a single tap, I have to report my behavior hasn't changed.
Normally, I am meticulous in putting together a piece. I engage in finding the right tone for my writing. I meticulously choose my words, break my paragraphs, and structure my deliverance in order to create good work. I strongly identified as someone who looked for exemplary writing conduct. Yet, after multiple assails from people about my unsatisfactory texting, I was forced to reassess myself.
When a person is made aware of their incongruities, they usually do one of two things: change/rework their views or change their actions. The circumstance often dictates the relative ease of the former in respect to the latter. Since my passion for literature is something I consider an integral part of myself, I decided to take a closer look at my actions.
Only to discover more incongruities. In fact, I am not a pristine example of a writer. If I had been born before the advent of the computer, I would have no doubt been set on a math an science course long before college. My spelling in the average paper is atrocious and my grammar borders that. Sometimes, I imagine words exist, and utilize ones that don't. Without the help of computer software, I would have been doomed.
As all of this was happening, I was in the throws of learning a new language, and in the process of making friends with people who were learning English as a second language. I found myself mostly unbothered by how they restructured grammar, and my friends at home noted that I had also abandoned some basics of correct speech patterns myself.
With the realization that my actions were all fairly poor in the literary sense, the scales were beginning to tip, and I began to examine my view point.
I started evaluation at the source: why did I love literature?
To me, literature is one of the most inclusive forms of art. Words chosen well (in the proper order, with the proper grace) can incite all the senses. They can direct the imagination towards smells, tastes, sights, ect simultaneously. Words, in the right place and the write time can invoke numerous emotions. They can sway people to see reason of opposing morals and awaken new concerns.
I began to notice that languages are often misused in a similar ways.
In Singapore, English has been influenced by Malay, Chinese, and other local languages. Instead of saying "Can you turn off the light?" my roommate would always say "Off the light please." or "Can you on the light?". They end sentences with "la" and interject words from other languages.
Similarily, instead of saying "What do you think?" my Chinese friends would say "How you think?"
I adjusted the way I used words in order to emulate how those around me understood them. When I told this to my roommates waiting back in the United States, they said that I should probably try to correct people on their grammer because it would be more useful later. I'll admit, I don't have a very good rationale as to why I don't attempt to do that, but life is always a work in progress.
This has all been a longwinded way to make an appeal about how language should be viewed and I have come to believe it should be viewed in essence. It is important to me because I have come to believe people are inappropriately viewed because of how they use language. Writing and speech exist to convery points, and they should be as flexible to their purpose. Formally, grammer and spelling are important. In a casual conversation, such as texting, dates and times are more important than the smaller concerns of packaging each word. And finally, appreaciting a language means that it can be bent a little. Though certain words conventionally go in a certain order, twisting it up in order to help a person understand what your saying is now crime.
