At times, a seemingly harmless word, or string of words, can have the power to provoke a feeling of intense anger, even animosity within me. For instance, I saw a movie recently where a character spoke this overused quote “I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you”. I saw it coming and shook my head in disbelief. Was this quote ever funny? Why do authors continue to use it? I heard it once spoken in everyday life, during a job interview. I knew this interaction required a positive reaction on my part. He wqas smiling broadly, so I needed to match that mood. That’s what I learned in Basic Human Communications 101. Yet, all I felt was amazement and disgust at his words. I fought hard to muster up a smirk; a chuckle seemed impossible and a smile required too much work. I couldn’t help but think the guy was a total tool. Would I even want to work for someone who employs the use of such a quote? It was hard to digest.

My request is we stop the use of this overused, not-so-amusing now, if ever, quote.

Another benign and personally inconsequential issue I feel strongly about regards broadcast journalists. There was a certain television newscaster who proved unable to speak three sentences without making an error. (I cannot and will not watch him any more so cannot say if his speaking problems continue to prevail.) He consistently and unfailingly mispronounced and flubbed lines. Intrigued, I thought I may have caught him on a bad day, so I began to monitor his broadcasts. It was amazing. He never disappointed in delivering a flawed segment. Eventually, I came to feel extreme anger towards the guy and the network. Why did they hire this man? Is he not aware of his limitations? I became so obsessed, I looked up his bio on the network’s website. I couldn’t believe he had actually earned a degree in broadcast journalism. It turns out that the guy is probably rather bright as he holds a degree in physics and mathematics. But intelligence and speaking flawlessly do not go hand-in-hand. He had no business reciting the news on a daily basis.

So, please, hire on-air personalities who possess the capabilty to recite paragraphs smoothly and flawlessly. And if a person believes she/he may have difficulty reading or reciting words to the public, seek work elsewhere.

Final request: Please have a happy birthday and best year ever, Jennifer!