Memories in my mind are extremely difficult to put together, and it is fairly rare that I can actually put one together in some sort of cohesive timeline. I like to say that I have a Dr Suess imagination. One particular memory that I have that really stands out to me was the day I had finally saved up enough money to buy my project car, a 1977 white Stingray Corvette. I had already been talking to the guy about it, so he had everything ready to go when I showed up with my check in hand. To him it was just a car that had been sitting in his barn for the past fer years, but to me she already had the name "Stacey". The paint wasn't the greatest, but I still could see the sun glistening off the freshly washed surface. The interior was hot from sitting outside for so long, and the red leather seats were extremely warm when I got in. All that didn't matter, because as soon as I got in, the loud thud of the door closing made me even more excited. I started cranking the car, and even though it sounded like it was having trouble turning over, eventually the loud, pounding roar of all 5.7 liters gave her life. The steering wheel seemed to grip my fingers perfectly, and while the gearshift took some coaxing, when it made that familiar drop in the transmission I knew I was in business. Every time I walk up to this car I get the same feeling. I can still see the car as the first time I ever drove off in her. The brown driveway and green bushes seemed dull in comparison to the bright white and flashy red interior of my favorite car I've ever owned.
McWhorters argument about how the death and evolution of language is more based on geography than culture seems to make a lot of sense to me. When he mentioned that Native Americans would not feel any less of their culture just because they don't necessarily speak the language anymore, I remembered a friend of mine in particular who is almost 100% Apache and Comanche through his families. He is extraordinarily proud of his heritage and of his culture, even though he was raised in Florida and speaks fluent English. Not having the language does not make him any less true to what he is. When McWhorter says that he is sad languages are dying for aesthetic reasons, I'd have to say I agree. it isn't particularly necessary for us all to have over 6000 languages all over the world, a d I would certainly be easier on people if we could more effectively communicate with each other, however the beauty of the languages is that they were made by the culture. Even though the culture wont fail to live on, a part of it does die when the language fails.
“Meditation at Lagunitas,” Robert Hass
ReplyDeleteDescription for anything helps the reader and listener better identify what the author is portraying. I strongly believe in more description because it helps paint a picture in your mind and creates a feeling as if you were actually with the writer the entire time.
The clicking noise raged in my ears as we ascended higher and higher. Tops of buildings came into view as ant size people swarmed, the feel of pure excitement rushed over me. One last CLICK and my heart sunk. My mouth agape with the sound of my voice leaving my throat and being snatched up by the wind. My screams were unheard leaving my chest empty. The thrill written all over my face. I threw my hands in the air as if I were trying to catch this moment and save it forever. My arms flung with every sharp turn, but I never failed to keep them in the wind. The beat of my heart echoed in my chest and to my ears, blood rushed to my head for a mere moment as we hung completely upside down. The detachment of my butt to the seat for a fraction of a second made me laugh hysterically. I was loving every moment of it, the speed showed through the way my hair would dance. It wasn't a beautiful dance but a thriller I must say. Never ending knots formed in my hair that I would soon regret after, but I wanted this feeling to last forever. The ant sized people coming in to view, no longer looking so small, warned me that this feeling was soon coming to an end. One last sharp turn and I let out the biggest and loudest scream I could possibly create.The end had come, replying with its last click locking us in a parked position. Eagerness set in to jump back in line, just for another ride to feel that desired race in my heart again. One ride was all it took to get me hooked, I was addicted to roller coasters.
"The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The Universality of English," John McWhorter
I also agree with what Chase had to say about "Not having the language does not make him any less true to what he is". A couple of summers ago I went on a mission trip to Montana, we stayed at an Indian reservation for around a week and a half. The field was surrounded by many different people of all ages having one thing in common, there way of life. I spoke to one man in particular who began to tell me about his culture and how it was soon to disappear, but the coming together once a year reminds him of where he came from and his values. This just shows that allow they may not practice their customs every moment of each and every day, they still know who they are and what they value. I do also agree that a language death is mostly sad for aesthetic reasons because language has taught us many things about history and the way of life of others. If a language dies out the future generation will never know it even existed. Language is an important aspect of what makes you, you. I am full Italian but don't know a single phrase in Italian, but I still feel a connection with Italians because its a feeling of connection with my ancestors and past relatives that I grew up with. In a reverse situation, where I did know Italian and the language ended up dying out I would probably feel a sense of withdraw and longing for the interaction with someone in my language. With or without having language, I still feel like you can have a sense of who you are.
“Meditation at Lagunitas” by Robert Hass-Melisa Barth
ReplyDeleteHass is explaining that words have different meaning to us all based on our own experiences. For instance, I remember a canoe trip I went on two fall seasons ago with my sister and boyfriend. We drove for three hours along the beautiful hill country to Garner State Park. The air was crisp with just enough of chill in the air to warrant wearing a jacket. We began our canoe trip in the mid-morning. The sun was settling just above our heads, putting off a nice warm glow. The trees along sides of the river banks were decorated in amber oranges, rustic reds, earthly browns and golden yellow leaves. The water was clear as freshly cleaned windows allowing us to see every detail that laid on the bottom of this river. The park was only half full so we had much of the river and the banks to ourselves. Upon traveling along this gorgeous river bank we came across an unusual looking fish. Now the fish was only about eight to nine inches in length and appeared to be a small, large-mouth bass. What looked odd about this little bass is that it had a tail on both ends. The little fish was sluggish and appeared to swimming usually close to our canoe. Most often these fish will swim off right away at the site of any large, moving object. Soon my boyfriend, who is an avid bass fisherman, notice the fish was having difficulties swallowing his afternoon meal that somehow became lodged improperly into the bass’s mouth. Being the great outdoorsman that my boyfriend is, he swooped his canoe paddle into the water. He had to move quickly, so down the paddle went into the water, seconds later it was out of the water and parallel to Dan’s arm. He reached in pulled the smaller fish from the lethargic bass’s mouth and the two immediately jumped off the paddle and back into the fresh clean water. They both swam around back close to the surface as almost a way of saying thanks and then swiftly swam away. It was an amazing thing to witness and just being one with nature.
“The Cosmopolitan Tongue” by John McWhorter
Mr. McWhorter claims language death occurs as a natural process base on geography and rather than on death of a culture. My understanding of this process is that as our ancestor die, they may take language as taught to them in their youth with them in their passing but the other culture diversity that separates each of our ethnic backgrounds remains the backbone of our past, present and future. The way we eat, live, religious belief etc. These are some examples of our ethnic cultures that remain with each of us. We may be evolving at being taught English as a universal language. Maybe we all communicate differently at home that we do publicly, but each of us has an underlying culture that is shared throughout our own generations. I was born in Germany and I am of German decent. I like some of the German food such as sausage sauerkraut. I even speak a very small amount of German language. Although I live in a town that is considered to be of German decent as well, geographically there isn’t much real German culture here as there is in country of Germany. New Braunfels native language is English and not German. I believe this is what McWhorter is referring to when he claims death of a language is based on geography over culture.
“Meditiation at Lagunitas”
ReplyDeleteI looked around and saw the exhausted old lady I had being watching since mile 20. Surrounded by dead nature, nothing but dried grass and a huge mass of dirt that once was a lake, I had 6.2 more miles to go. I had never had this feeling before, never this frustration and hopelessness before. I can’t stop watching my Garmin, thinking, "By now I should be at the finish line already." Under that horrible heat my head kept spinning, “What went wrong? I trained hard for this! Didn’t I? What happened?”. Trying to find something to keep me going, I started thinking about “The Matrix”. I watched that movie a week before the marathon. This scene where a little Buda explains how he is able to bend a spoon, not by trying to bend the object, but by thinking that there was no spoon, started whirling in my head. "That is right! That’s the answer! There is no spoon! There is no pain! There is no time really! It is all in my mind! I can do this!" For the next 15 minutes I kept repeating to myself, “There is no spoon. There is no spoon.” It worked for only a mile, I still had 5 more to go. It was a great concept, but I needed to train my brain before it really sank in. I looked ahead, I could barely see the end of the road. This long, white, made-of-artificial-stone path reminded me of The Wizard of Oz. It was the only thing between me and success. I wanted to quit. I wanted to find someone with a cell phone and call for help. The only thing that kept me going was the idea of that medal hanging on the wall in my bedroom. I realized I was not the only one in this situation. People passing out, crying for help or for some water made me feel better. I wasn’t the only one in this situation. Maybe there was hope for me. I wasn’t going to hit my personal record but at least I was going to finish. My feet hurt like never before. I was sure I had two or more burst blisters. my leg was so cramped out I could barely feel my right thigh with every step. A million thoughts came into my mind. It is unbelievable how much you learn about yourself when you run a marathon. When I was about to reach my lowest point of my short running carrier, I saw a short, fat, dressed-with-a-blue-shirt man waving and shouting, “Almost there, one more mile to go!” Between the exhaustion, the happiness and the rush I made it to the finish line. Covered by a mixture of sweat, water and electrolytes, my body and mind made it to the 26.2 mile. Some minutes later I saw the old lady crossing it too. I had to thank her for being, without knowing, such an inspirational and important piece of this incredible experience.
The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The Universality of English
ReplyDeleteI agree with the idea that not because your language dies you loose your identity. You are who you are because of your culture and the way you were raised. The language is a secondary element in our lives. It doesn’t matter what kind of language you speak, what matters is where you were born and your surroundings. On the other hand, the mere idea of not speaking Spanish anymore makes me shiver. I do like my language and I want my kids to speak it too. I think about what difference it would make if my kids spoke just English. Probably, they would be the exact same kids if they spoke just Spanish. It wouldn’t make a difference, they would still have the same traditions and beliefs. But for some reason I wouldn’t like them to speak just one language if their parents speak two different ones. Being able to speak two different languages and on the course to speak two more, have made me realize that there are a lot of phrases or ideas that cant be translated. Sometimes there are no exact words for what you want to say, so you try to explain it, but it doesn’t have the same meaning. You end up with words you didn’t really want to say. It is really a mixed feeling. McWhorter is right when he says that “Language death is, ironically, a symptom of people coming together”. It is the product of the need to speak just one language so everybody understands each other in a better way. On the other hand, like he said, the discomfort of the thought of speaking an unfamiliar language is profound.
“Meditation at Lagunitas,” Robert Hass
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's. The disease manifested mildly enough, plain forgetfulness, maybe asking the same question that had in previous minutes just been remedied, performing mundane tasks like checking her big silver deadbolt several times an hour to see it hadn't moved from its secured upright position. Her house shoes were constantly shuffling across the linoleum at a rhythmic turtle pace as her memory abandoned what mission she was on and she had to retreat to her starting point before starting all over again.
But as her condition developed to later stages over the years names escaped her, faces fleeted, soon she wasn't able to decipher where she was or what she was doing there.
Not on one occasion though she was able to seize a moment of clarity and recall our name and relation to her. One night as she sat perched in her usual brown plush armchair that was substantial in size to her small slumped frame, I sat opposite her along with my parents. Her coffee sat neglected and undoubtedly cold on nearby end table next to a ceramic ashtray. My mom was attempting to clear the petite table of its forgotten caffeinated contents when my grandma began cantankerously fussing and scolded her by name.
Over the course of maybe an hour she accompanied bombarding questions with names of family, friends, neighbors, their occupations and birthdates. You could almost hear the cranking of the wheels turning inside her head. She spoke in a tone that sounded like someone who had just woken up agitated at our persistence and reactions to ordinary facts that of course she knew, why wouldn’t she?
"The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The Universality of English," John McWhorter
When McWhorter makes the claim that language is based greater on geography than culture means that many languages have a common ancestor but when split up in different regions naturally they evolve and people pick and choose practical or easier pronunciations of things. This is more a matter of chance than a reflection of a people’s cultural beliefs.
His assertion that death of a language is aesthetic means that because a language has ended doesn’t mean the people who spoke it can no longer practice their traditions or consider themselves apart of their culture. I agree that changing your language is just a means of better communicating where you find yourself living. Humans aren't living few and far between and therefor it is reasonable for languages to die as people adapt to the dominant tongue of their region. This doesn't subtract their ties to their culture.
“Meditation at Lagunitas,” Robert Hass
ReplyDelete1. A memory that I have that I can remember with some detail is right before my 18th birthday when two of my dad's friend's stayed the night at our house after my graduation party and the next morning we went out for a “sunday morning stroll” in their cars. This wouldn't be a big deal to most people except for the fact that my dad drives a very shiny, blacked out Camaro ZL1, his friend Scotty drives a grey and carbon fiber Corvette Z06, and his other friend Jeff drives a blacked out Lamborghini Aventador. I am not a morning person at all, but that morning I was up early. The four of us, my uncle and my best friend all got into the cars after everyone was up and we were off. All of these cars have at least 700 horse power from the fly wheel so when you take off from a complete stop you are thrown back in your seat, I get butterflies in my stomach and it always leaves a huge smile on my face. As we got on the freeway closest to my house, there was very little traffic and they all went for it. Going about 150 on an open road is exhilarating and nerve racking because of the potential of cops. Unfortunately, the drive was cut short by a thunderstorm that moved in, but it definitely left me with a memory of one of the best mornings of my life.
"The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The Universality of English," John McWhorter
1.Language death starts to happen when groups of people that were more isolated start coming in contact with other groups of people through one or the other moving to another area. As this happens more and more, the group that was isolated and had their own language starts learning the more common language of the other people, eventually a generation will only speak their native language at home and then not teach their children and the language will die out.
2.I agree with McWhorter's claim that the death of a language is sad for aesthetic reasons. I think he means that hearing other languages can be exotic and because of this, it is in a since beautiful. I agree because there is some mystery to hearing a language that you do not know and to me that has a sort of beauty to it. I do think that it would be a lot easier if there was a set universal language, but I would still like to be able to hear other languages at times.
The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The University of English
ReplyDeleteI agree that just because a language dies doesn't mean that the culture that the language was a part of dies as well. Language is a big part of our world but it doesn't mean that if our language dies then you are no longer part of that culture. "Not having the language does not make him any less true to what he is". Not speaking the language doesn't exclude you from a culture because a culture is made of different things not just language its made of other things like music, food, traditions, and religion. A person doesn't lose who they are they because their language a person is who they are by the way the were raised. The traditions and morals their parents and grandparents taught them. I believe I get the best of both worlds being half white half Mexican, I believe that I am apart of both cultures not just one. I speak both Spanish and English and I couldn't see myself living life without knowing both languages but it doesn't mean that if one day I chose to stop speaking Spanish doesn't mean I'm not Mexican anymore. I will always be part of my Mexican culture because of morals and traditions my mother has taught me growing up.
"language death is, ironically, a symptom of people coming together." I agree with McWhorter when he says this because different languages are dying and everyone is starting to learn one common language which brings us closer because we are able to understand each other and not have language as a communication barrier. We would all be able to communicate better and understand each other but also how many people are going to go out of their way to learn one language so we can all communicate better? I know I wouldn't because I wouldn't feel comfortable speaking another language that isn't English or Spanish.
Meditation at Lagunitas
ReplyDeleteA distinct memory in my mind is one of my many car rides through California this summer. The day was sunny and perfect. I was sitting passenger seat of our red Nissan rental car with my roommate driving. I was carefree and in the moment. As usual, I was listening to Armin Van Buuren as loud as possible and staring out the window onto Pacific Coast Highway. At this point we are somewhere between Huntington Beach and Venice. I remember the smell of the salty ocean and how my mouth watered at the scent. The sun was high but the temperature was a perfect 80F and breezy. I was exceptionally excited because I would be meeting up with an old friend soon. This excitement, mixed with the sweet melodies of trance and the perfect view of the ocean, was almost overwhelming with perfection. This was my vacation leading up to EDC, a music festival in Vegas and I had so much to look forward to. I remember stepping onto the sand as we stopped at Venice to walk around the harbor. The sand was hotter than expected but it was a familiar burn that I loved for its many memories. We nearly ran across the hot sand with our bare feet and quickly dipped them into the water. The salt water left a taste in my mouth that I cannot forget. I looked up at the palm trees bending from the breeze and sat in wonder that in this moment I was as endless as the ocean. The ocean gave me such a sense of peace and happiness that I will forever connect the two.
The Cosmopolitan Tongue: The University of English
ReplyDeleteI agree that a language disappearing is not the death of culture. However, I think many languages is essential to our communication. In one area of the world they may have a word for something that in English we have to actually describe-because there is no exact word for it. This loose translation happens to many of us when we pick up a new language and therefore the growth of learning new languages also teaches you knew things you may have not even known about. Just like the word "demexch" mentioned in the text to explain a soft spot in the ice. I believe that learning many languages is good because it strengthens your communication level. It is not so much about the idea of a culture dying as much as a form of communication and the words of ancestors and ancient texts that we would not be able to read without understanding some of the language. Languages change all of the time due to people moving across the world and adapting their language. As language evolves so does our understanding of more concepts but fewer languages means we have less to learn and communicate with.