Written Language

I like to write anything. Letters, E mails, poetry..... I even once wrote a book (unpublished) long forgotten and probably deservedly so. But I was thinking after I read an E mail from someone I know very well but from whom I rarely communicate by use of the written word, that I was stuck at the thought of just how differently we communicate when we write as opposed to when speak.

Someone once said that writers should write and speakers should speak. I have found many examples of that from my own observation, both from my personal acquaintances and from strangers . I remember the great author Truman Capote, so forceful and brilliant in his written works and so mousy when he spoke. In my own case it is far easier for me to write than to speak, as I never have trouble with the written word but sometimes lack confidence when speaking. "What do I say"?, is often a question when I speak but is never when I write. It's always easier to find words to write.

Unlike when I write something down, when I talk I always think about my words and constantly want to take the sentence or phrase back and redo it. When I taught English I always told my students that their writing had to be far superior to their speech because with written communication they had time to go back and "clean up" the messy parts. But it's odd that many more people today speak more understandably than they write when conveying their thoughts or ideas. I think it is because the electronic mediums are so oral and visual that we develop the spoken word skill to a far greater degree than we did in times when there was no electronic communication. Are there any "soft spoken" humans around today? If so, they are dinosaurs.

Too, when we communicate something to others we are greatly influenced by the method we use we impart the communication. That's why some writers can't write as well when using electronic modes of transcribing (typing on the computer) as when using the old fashioned pen and paper technique. We do think differently when expressing our ideas via different modes. In my case, film does very little to stimulate my brain. But when I read the written word I am lifted much higher and understand and think more deeply about what I read. Allegedly, all that has to do with our individual learning styles.

If we go back to pre electronic medium times and read the letters of simple people who lived then, they seem remarkable for the clarity, for the use of the language and for how moving their expressions were. Today we more often get the "lol" or " What's happening" mindless slang. I suppose the electronic age has killed much of the old formal written language and replaced it with informal slang. But does it matter? We all still seem to communicate and understand each other well enough. But for me, probably because of my age and background, using written language the more comfortable way.....and I am glad it is that way.