Vocabulary

I apologize in advance.  Nothing in the following is meant to wound or criticize anyone beyond myself.

Recently, I have been brought to task about my lack of verbiage and appalling grammar by a well-meaning friend. Not one to put much importance in proper grammar anyway, I was at first shocked at her candor. Once my anger subsided, the horrible realization dawned on me that she was indeed right. Where once I prided myself on learning and utilizing more sophisticated means of communication, I have lately been sorely and woefully lazy in my vocabulary usage.

What is to blame for this serious grievance to the English language?

Depression?

Lack of continuing education?

Deplorable living situation?

Stress?

The cessation of my first love--writing?

Health ailments?

Even if the answer lies in any, all, or none of the above, there is no true excuse in allowing myself to sound uneducated!  Jane Austin would shun me~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow would condemn me~ Mark Twain would damn me~ Emily Dickinson would scoff at me.

So why have I fallen prey to the seductive allure of using pure slang?

It is tempting to lay the blame at my environment's feet. Living in the South, it is difficult to find one with whom the joy of verbal sparring can be exercised. When you are surrounded by those who do not speak the same language, often it becomes difficult to maintain one's use of a foreign tongue. I love those whom I call family, yet some of those have been my harshest critics in using my expanded vocabulary. I grew weary of hearing that I believed myself more superior all because I chose to use more of the English dictionary than they. (It sounds harsh, but it is unfortunately true!)

Eleanor Roosevelt has been quoted as saying, "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." How right that is!

I no longer choose to allow myself to "dumb down" my words just to give a few people the illusion that I am no better than trash that does not know any better.

I will henceforth practice my second language with more fervor than I have before--here I go!