Speaking

The challenge here is to be a voice, not just words on a screen. It gets really tricky when you are hoping to be facetious, or sarcastic, or using some other emotion where tone and face convey something different or more than the words. Salinger, my hero (see my post 9/13/08) tried to get part way with italics, and I do too.

These days I see folks using emoticons, which strike me as profoundly creepy. My view isn't right, it's snobbish, the users are trying to improve the truth of their communication... but eew.

There are some things that just don't convey without the tone, or the eye contact, or the pursed lips. Take my response to the many good folks who ask how I am, and know that there may be a complicated answer. I say only, "OK." But kind of slow, with a lift at the end. Ooo-kay. Tired of the process, hopeful, grateful for the well-meaning question, not eager to get into detail, without irony. Can you pack that into two syllables that have no intrinsic meaning? I think so. I hope so.