TH and I often have a discussion about nature & nurture. “Like My Mama Often Told Me” – words matter, correct use is preferred. Now, she could make up silly with the best of them – In my entire life I can only remember ONE occasion when the words HELL or DAMN were spoken –
If you wanted to be stopped in your verbal tracks, just try to use a made up word as if it was real without “explaining”. (okay, proving you actually knew what you were talking about.) – as you may imagine – thick tomes with Merriam Webster, Brittannica , The Bible shared a shelf with the History of Westchester County, and another about the City of Yonkers –
Sharing those lower shelves was a wonderful set of childrens books – I do not remember having any “golden” books, but I remember an encyclopedia like set of Children’s books, I think those were passed on to the Doerfler children –
Escoffier’s, The Joy of Cooking, and of course thanks to our real Aunty Betty – editions of the Betty Crocker cookbooks. These have also been gifted to family over the years – because once you learn the basics of a technique and how certain variables (ingredients) will affect the outcome – all you need are basic recipes and notes with your variations on the theme.
When I wanted to learn to sew, Aunt Jewl sent a basic book on clothing construction and Aunt Vi recommended a text on pattern making.
Every motor vehicle had its Chilton’s manual “on the shelf”. There were (and still are) Slip cases with owners manuals or technique references on the shelves – then mostly kitchen appliances, and of course the much used note book on bike repair.
To this day, chaotic as my life can get – you can still find my “technical” references in slipcases, by “skill” on the shelves and one in the Kitchen for appliances.
So why am I sharing this –
Because words matter – and without knowing their proper meaning and use, or at least how to learn, one cannot hope to progress.
Thank you for my parents for teaching their children “what is worth having is worth working for…. and paramount amount those things are learning”
And another Thank you for the late Margaret D’Ascoli. Mrs D mentored that teenager into using an incorrigible nature as a tool and respect for language and literature.
Most of all I am grateful to my parents who taught by example how vital a willingness “to look dumb” and ask questions, say I don’t know and perhaps most importantly not to accept less than factual unless clearly labelled opinion is a path worth following.
