Oh, Lakoff

So, I tried to post this last Wednesday and for some reason it didn't show up. Let's hope it works this time...

I have come to the conclusion that getting anything done once the weather is nice is nearly impossible. I have been so far behind in reading Lakoff it’s ridiculous. I finally got caught up over break while working from 5:15 am until 12:30 pm. The worst shift in the world, but the best time to get things done. When I finally had seven hours of free time (and yes where I work it is free time) I got to know Lakoff.
I found most everything she had to say interesting and though provoking. I understood what she was trying to say. The section on apologies which we talked about in class, I completely understood what she meant. Putting yourself out there and admitting you did something wrong, making yourself vulnerable to the person you wronged-dead on. What also interested me was how she incorporated news stories into her book. The latest story that received Undue Attention was the Anna Nicole’s death and “baby daddy” scandal. It’s funny to see in a scholarly text book all the stories that have fascinated the world and for reasons that seem somewhat unnecessary.
As I read this book I realized how useful this would have been for me while writing our last paper. I focused on word choice and how people in power use them, Lakoff explores just that. She says that language is constantly changing and evolving along with the times. “If we can stop language from changing, and if language both reflects and creates our reality, we could…just maybe…stop real-world change,” (75). I loved this point. She says that language really does have an impact on the world, which was just the point I was trying to prove in my paper. Wow, this Lakoff sure makes a lot of sense.


Side note: When I wrote this is was sooo sunny and nice out, what happened? I hate the rain. That's all, see you in class on Tuesday.