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Butch Furse
As we get older the word “change” carries a whole new meaning and it’s one that occurs more often and is also one of more frequent personal dread. “Change” now interrupts my comfortable routine and lifestyle more than I would like although I also must admit “change” in some instances has been good.
In my younger years I can recall the Betterhalf’s grandfather commenting after man landed on the moon that he was amazed he was part of a generation that had witnessed the first automobiles and the man landing on the moon.
Trying to keep up with “change” has become a major problem for me as this old world seems to be “changing” faster than ever and I seem to be falling behind more than ever. I put much of the blame on technology and what we also call the “social media age.” It certainly isn’t my old age slowing me.
Just as I become comfortable operating my ancient computer, the software company ghostly updates changes on one of the programs after I had shut my computer down for the night.
If that isn’t bad enough, the Merriam-Webster dictionary company has added this year 455 new words including a number of slang terms and abbreviations from social media. The company claims the quick and informal nature of messaging, tweeting and texting has contributed a vocabulary newly rich in efficient and abbreviated expression. Meanwhile I haven’t learned to tweet but fail to even have much knowledge of today’s technology.
How about that new technique of fulfilling the demands of quick messaging by using the new abbreviations and slang terms found this year in the dictionary? A few months ago I found, thanks to the Betterhalf, that “LOL” stands for “laugh out loud.” Now I’m expected to know “TBH” means “to be honest” and “amirite” is a quick way to write “am I right?”
Well, to all of this I can only express my attitude by writing in my newest abbreviation, “FI” which means “forget it!”
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Don’t misunderstand me, there are plenty of good things “change” has brought about, too. Watching the Betterhalf in the kitchen I witnessed the convenience of the microwave and how it’s quickness has replaced many of the over the big old stove-oven chores and simplified meal prep for her. And when the Betterhalf is happy, so am I.
RL Furse is publisher emeritus of the News-Register
