Thursday, April 28, 2016

April Apperceptions: The Things I Say


When asked what word or phrase I use constantly, I had to stop and think...what do I say all the time?

I guess it boils down to a few things, rather than just one.

1) "Wow." I say it in response to amazing things people tell me--feats others have done, miracles of God, etc. I also say it sarcastically at times--in the sense of 'I can't believe you just did/said that.'

2) "Maybe/possibly/probably." I'm not a very decisive person, so at least one of these three words rolls off my tongue an awful lot. Also, sometimes if I'm really not sure something will happen (particularly within a specific time period), I don't want to be guilty of giving people false hope.

3) "Mrs. Kephart."As a kindergarten teacher, I've gotten in the habit of referring to myself in third person. When I make a mistake that's sort of funny: Silly Mrs. Kephart. When explaining something new or unexpected I did for the children: You may have noticed that Mrs. Kephart [did such-and-such]. When referring to a desired behavior: Mrs. Kephart really likes it when... In fact, I've used my name so much in this way that one of my kindergartners once asked, "Why do you always talk about yourself in third person?" Yes, a kindergartner! Haha. She had learned the concept from one of her older siblings. Now that I'm more aware, I don't use this form of self-reference as much as I did at the beginning of the school year--but it's still a habit.

Like a teenager, my popular phrases or words of choice tend to go in phases, or fads if you will. They are subject to changes and updates, and sometimes even borrowed from my teenage son. However, though some words and phrases may "pop up" in my vocabulary on a more regular basis than others, I strive for overall variety in the the things I say--and I make an attempt to not be overly annoying by being a broken record.






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