When I was two, my grandfather taught me to read. He used the New York Daily News because it had such large letters in the headlines. He also taught me storytelling by reading aloud to me from his favorite books. Mostly Shakespeare, but other things as well.
One day, when he had been particularly irritated by someone's endless, and pointless, talking, he said to me, "Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth. We all should take the hint." In other words, try to speak only when you have something worthwhile to say.
With the advent of the internet, and of blogging in particular, we have been acting as if God gave each of us six mouths and half an ear. As the character Celimene (in Moliere's Le misanthrope) said of a verbose acquaintance,
I have never wanted to add to this cacaphony, yet here I am. *sigh*
One day, when he had been particularly irritated by someone's endless, and pointless, talking, he said to me, "Remember, God gave us two ears and one mouth. We all should take the hint." In other words, try to speak only when you have something worthwhile to say.
With the advent of the internet, and of blogging in particular, we have been acting as if God gave each of us six mouths and half an ear. As the character Celimene (in Moliere's Le misanthrope) said of a verbose acquaintance,
Oh, he's a wondrous talker, and has the power
To tell you nothing hour after hour.
[trans. Richard Wilbur, 1955]I have never wanted to add to this cacaphony, yet here I am. *sigh*
