Sandra Dodd

In another topic ("Screen time and meeting everyone's needs"), Karen james wrote about not saying "but" anymore, and Pam Sorooshian wrote:

-=-Recognizing how "but" indicates that what I said before isn't entirely true, how "just" can imply unimportance and be dismissive, and how "have to" can prevent clear thinking about alternatives --- those are among the most important things I learned from unschooling discussions.-=-

I thought it was great, and went to find a place on my site to keep it.
I can't find a place where "just" was discussed, or the problem with "yes, but..." and other butts. :-)

So I don't know where to put it. If anyone wants to help look in the archives for quotable discussions about "just" or "but," I should colelct them up and gie them a page.

Here's what I do have, and even this isn't as organized as it should be. There's about enough for a book here.

http://sandradodd.com/semantics
http://sandradodd.com/wordswords
http://sandradodd.com/haveto
http://sandradodd.com/phrases
http://sandradodd.com/words/words.html

I definitely need to organize those. I have two index pages and didn't realize it. :-)
That's not all of the pages about word use, but I think the others are linked from one or more of those. Maybe.

Each Wednesday (most Wednesdays) I run a chat. Today's topic was time. One point I made was that the way we say how old someone is can affect our thoughts and intentions. I wrote:
______________________________
Marty will be 25 in two weeks.
If we look at something about Marty—his relationship, his health, his "maturity," or education or finances—we could say for starters that he is "already 25" or that he is "only 25" and that makes a difference in the way we will see that thing we're looking at.
______________________________

When a person has zero interest in the power of words, perhaps it has to do with verbal intelligence / interest / talent. Maybe they don't see the subtleties between words the way a non-musician can't tell (or care about) the difference between calypso and reggae, or even a minor or major scale. Maybe they can't see words the way I can't watch cricket. But here's the deal: I'm not playing cricket.

In a discussion in writing of things as crucial as parental attitudes toward children who will not be in school, but will be at home all the time, words are as important as where the ball is, what inning, whose turn it is to bat, and why, in sports that I can't even write about. :-) They're way MORE important.

Sandra