14
Oregon Court Reporters Association www.orcra.org Making Oregon a great place to be a court reporter! In Brief Spring 2013 President’s Message Publishing Policy Statement All opinions expressed herein are those of the authors unless specifically identified as OCRA policy. Upcoming Events April 19 - 21, 2013 TechCon 2013 Scottsdale, AZ April 27, 2013 WCRA Spring Seminar Auburn, WA May 3 - 5, 2013 NCRA Boot Camp Tyson’s Corner, VA May 18, 2013 OCRA Spring Convention Salem, OR October 18-20, 2013 OCRA Fall Convention Sun River, OR this issue Legislative Boot Camp P.4 Off the Cuffe P.6 2013 Spring Convention P.8 Member Spotlight P.12 Chris’s Corner P.13 Oregon Court Reporters Association www.orcra.org Devoted to leadership and direction for the court reporting profession in the state of Oregon In Brief Spring 2013 President’s Message Publishing Policy Statement All opinions expressed herein are those of the authors unless specifically identified as OCRA policy. In a very chaotic lifestyle of high stress and too many changes, we depend a lot on our habits because they give us certainty. Without the certainty of habits, our life would be full of fear. Imagine getting up in the morning, not knowing if there is food in the refrigerator, or sending your kids to school, not knowing if they will come back, or leaving your home in the morning, not knowing if it will be there when you return. Certainty is essential for our emotional survival. When we have the confidence that things will happen the way we expect them to, we can stop worrying and struggling. We are more relaxed and therefore think better and get better outcomes. To create certainty, we develop habits that allow us not to think and re-think everything we do. Habits are automatic rules of behavior that help us feel safe. However, habits can heal us or kill us. As I walked into my job I was on autopilot setting up my equipment, entering case information into my computer, swearing in the witness, and starting to write. It was habit. However, at the first break something happened that snapped me out of my everyday routine: the attorney started talking to me about the great technology that reporters have now of streaming to iPads, iPhones, having exhibits for the whole case at their fingertips on an iPad in case they’re needed, etc. I was dumbfounded how I had let technology pass me by so profoundly. I realized that going through the motions of my everyday habits could kill my career, and I needed to step out of my safety zone and expand my knowledge and skills. (Continued on page 3)

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Upcoming Events

September 10, 2011

Board of Director’s Meeting

Salem, OR

October 21-23, 2011

Fall Convention

Agate Beach

October 23, 2011

Board of Director’s Meeting

Agate Beach

November 5, 2011

NCRA Testing

Portland, OR

this issue

Chris’ Corner P.4

Oregon Goes Audio P.4

NCSA Passes Two Resolutions P.7

This is True P.7

Legislative Committee Update P.8

Reading Off the Cuffe P.9

Las Vegas Photos P.10

Fall Convention Agenda P.11

Oregon Court Reporters Association

www.orcra.org

Making Oregon a great place to be a court reporter! In Brief Spring

2013

President’s Message

P u b l i s h i n g P o l i c y S t a t e m e n t

A l l o p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d h e r e i n a r e t h o s e o f t h e a u t h o r s u n l e s s s p e c i f i c a l l y i d e n t i f i e d a s O C R A p o l i c y .

 

 

Upcoming Events

April 19 - 21, 2013

TechCon 2013

Scottsdale, AZ

April 27, 2013

WCRA Spring Seminar

Auburn, WA

May 3 - 5, 2013

NCRA Boot Camp

Tyson’s Corner, VA

May 18, 2013

OCRA Spring Convention

Salem, OR

October 18-20, 2013

OCRA Fall Convention

Sun River, OR

this issue

Legislative Boot Camp P.4

Off the Cuffe P.6

2013 Spring Convention P.8

Member Spotlight P.12

Chris’s Corner P.13

Oregon Court Reporters Association

www.orcra.org

Devoted to leadership and direction for the court reporting

profession in the state of Oregon

In Brief Spring

2013

President’s Message

P u b l i s h i n g P o l i c y S t a t e m e n t

A l l o p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d h e r e i n a r e t h o s e o f t h e a u t h o r s u n l e s s s p e c i f i c a l l y i d e n t i f i e d a s O C R A p o l i c y .

In a very chaotic lifestyle of high stress and too many changes, we depend a lot on our habits because they give us certainty. Without the certainty of habits, our life would be full of fear. Imagine getting up in the morning, not knowing if there is food in the refrigerator, or sending your kids to school, not knowing if they will come back, or leaving your home in the morning, not knowing if it will be there when you return. Certainty is essential for our emotional survival. When we have the confidence that things will happen the way we expect them to, we can stop worrying and struggling. We are more relaxed and therefore think better and get better outcomes. To create certainty, we develop habits that allow us not to think and re-think everything we do. Habits are automatic rules of behavior that help us feel safe.

However, habits can heal us or kill us. As I walked into my job I was on autopilot setting up my equipment, entering case information into my computer, swearing in the witness, and starting to write. It was habit. However, at the first break something happened that snapped me out of my everyday routine: the attorney started talking to me about the great technology that reporters have now of streaming to iPads, iPhones, having exhibits for the whole case at their fingertips on an iPad in case they’re needed, etc. I was dumbfounded how I had let technology pass me by so profoundly. I realized that going through the motions of my everyday habits could kill my career, and I needed to step out of my safety zone and expand my knowledge and skills. (Continued on page 3)

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 2 

OCRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012-2013 

 

Colleen McCarty, President Robin Nodland, President-Elect Alane R. Harrold, Vice President 503.869.6059 503.299.6200 541.771.8251 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Christine Shepard, Secretary Jill Erwin , Treasurer Elizabeth Archer, Past President 503.585.5993 503.326.8191 503.319.0122 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]  

DIRECTORS 

 

Kim Harrison, Director Patta Johnson, Director Karen Eichhorn, Director 503.944.9612 503.734.6059 503.936.4805 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Larisa Giacomini, Director 541.382.3701 [email protected]

 

COMMITTEE CHAIRS 

 

Archives: Alane R. Harrold Bylaws: Christine Spencer Legislative: Carol Studenmund 541.771.8251 503.363.6677 503.299.6200 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]  

Membership: Shellene Iverson Newsletter: Ryan White Nominating: Elizabeth Archer 503.274.4644 503.841.8619 503.319.0122 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Public Relations: Elisa Kloster Realtime Testing: Carol Studenmund Student Liaison: Terri Mundt 541.404.1412 503.299.6200 503.226.0111 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Testing: Kim Allen Website: Chris Iba Website Co-Chair: Debra Cheyne 503.542.0902 503.224.4438 503.625.1717 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] 

 

             

               

             

 

OCRA MISSION STATEMENT 

The purpose of the Oregon Court Reporters Associa on is to develop leadership and direc on for the court repor ng profession in the state of 

Oregon; to advocate ethical standards, quality service, educa onal opportuni es, and technological advancements for its members; to promote 

the services of our profession to the client base; to act as liaison between the profession and the local, state, and na onal client groups; and to 

enhance understanding and good will among the members and the public. 

 

 

 

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 3 

In the upcoming year there are many great opportunities for all of us to learn and expand our skills, whether it’s technology, realtime, building speeds, obtaining certifications, volunteering, or even making connections with our colleagues. Some of these opportunities are Spring Convention, Fall Convention, National Convention, TechCon, and many more. We have so many great opportunities thanks to our hard-working volunteers, and I challenge not only myself but you, as well, to take advantage of them.

Let’s embrace our habits that have helped us in the past, as well as create new ones that will take us into the future.

President’s Message (Continued from page 1)

Colleen R. McCarty CSR, CCR, RPR President of OCRA

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 4 

Legislative Boot Camp 2013

By Shellene Iverson

What is legislative boot camp you may ask. It is an intensive two-day training that gets you ready to go up on Capitol Hill to lobby your senators and representatives for your cause. It is intense; exhausting; and, believe it or not, a whole lot of fun.

Robin Nodland and I went to NCRA’s 2013 legislative boot camp. We started bright and early on Sunday morning grabbing our nametags and being separated into our teams. That was practically the last I saw of Robin until Hill Day. Our first session was Politics 101 presented by Dave Wenhold, lobbyist for NCRA. This session was basically the nuts and bolts of how legislation is made. He spoke about how bills become laws, how to interact effectively with staff, and how to advocate for your ideas. Politics 101 then segued into Utilizing Grassroots in Your Efforts for Maximum Success presented by Brandon Schall and Adam Finkel, NCRA’s government relations specialists.

After a short break we came back and joined a panel of legislative staffers to learn how to effectively communicate with our legislators and their staffers on Capitol Hill. There were three panelists. One was a scheduler and the other two were legislative aides. These are the people with whom you are most likely to speak with when you are on the Hill. They also spoke a little bit about what it is like to be a staffer on Capitol Hill. I was very impressed with how very young and savvy these panelists were.

We then were off to lunch with our team to get to know each other better. When we came back, we went right into issues about contracting versus networking.

In late 2011, NCRA started the Task Force on Contracting to assist states with lobbying for legislation that restricts third-party contracting. NCRA’s Code of Professional Ethics requires disclosure of any potential conflict of interest such as a

long-term contractual relationship with one party. This was a very lively and interactive session with a lot of questions and scenarios. For more information about contracting you can go to www.ncra.org. Click “Government Relations,” “Key Issues,” and “Contracting.”

Edward Johnson, RPR, CRR, then regaled us with tales of what it is like to report on the Hill. He spoke about what the duties of a Capitol reporter are and what it is like to be there reporting while history is being made. Reporters are used in committee meetings as well as hearings. There are reporters on the Hill that wear their machine and go to the individuals who are speaking. I could not even fathom being able to write like that. They write in 10-minute to one hour segments, and everything is daily copy.

After being exhausted just from hearing what it would be like to be a Hill reporter, we then got into NCRA’s 2013 federal initiatives and the game scenario. NCRA’s cause this year is the Local Courthouse Safety Act. The Local Courthouse Safety Act is a bill that will utilize the $184 million of additional security equipment that was purchased by the TSA and is currently being stored in three warehouses in Texas at a cost of $3.5 million annually.

What this act will do is allow states to request this equipment for courthouses that are without safety equipment — i.e., scanners, metal detectors, wands, et cetera — through a grant system that is already established. These grants will also allow for training of the current courthouse personnel in the use of this equipment.

When we were done learning about the upcoming bill, we went to dinner with our teams to strategize our game plan for our mock meetings and mock hearing on Monday. This is where we got our creative juices flowing.

For our role playing we were supposed to figure out the best way to present our cause during our mock meetings. For example, on our team, Team Alpha, one person was a court reporter injured due to courtroom violence. Another person was the distraught mother of a person who caused courtroom violence. We had someone from the Public Safety Alliance. I was the director of programs from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. We also had someone from the Trial Lawyers Association. In developing these roles, we had to research what we thought would drive the point home.

We were up bright and early after a long night of strategizing to attend our Monday morning session, Dealing with the Press. This session emphasized what to do and what not to do when talking with the press. For example, if a reporter calls you and you are not prepared to speak with them, it is perfectly okay to ask them if you can call them back. This way you can make sure you have your talking points in front of you, and you can clear your head and focus on the task at hand, making sure you get your message across.

After that we had a little bit of final prep time with our teams, and then we started our seven mock meetings. We met with senators. Of course, there was Senator Doug Friend making sure we knew our stuff, asking tough questions, and putting us through our paces. We met with a newspaper reporter. There was also a judge and an undersecretary for the Department of Justice. We were learning how to present ourselves and how to ask for support or cosponsorship. After each meeting everyone got to break character, and we were critiqued and given pointers on how to polish our presentation.

When the mock meetings were done, we went to lunch with our team to

(Continued on page 7)

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 5 

Congratulations to Debra Cheyne!

Please join us in congratulating Debra Cheyne for being appointed to NCRF’s Board of Trustees! Debra’s three-year term will begin August 10th at the national convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Congratulations, Debra, on this honor!

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 6 

Off the Cuffe by Renee Cuffe

in the car. Yes, all 65 hours worth. Everything you wanted to know about Japan in the 1600's. A bold English adventurer. An invincible Japanese warlord. A beautiful woman torn between two ways of life. All brought together in an extraordinary saga of a time and a place aflame with conflict, passion, ambition, lust, and the struggle for power. What more could you want? There are only a handful of other books I've read more than once: (1) King Rat (also by James Clavell), a WWII Japanese prisoner of war story. (2) Clan of the Cave Bear (a record three times), but NOT the sequels. Yuck. (3) Grapes of Wrath. (4) Of Mice and Men. (5) And of course, all the Lord of the Rings and the first Harry Potter.

As some of you know, I try to read Younger Next Year (for women) at least once a year. That makes me about, oh, 36? Only my hairdresser knows for sure. But then again, I think that old slogan is giving me away.

Yes, I seem to be a day late and a dollar short. When everybody else was reading, "Life of Pi," I immediately thought, well, math. Not my strong suit. A lifeboat with an Indian boy and a 450-pound tiger? Doesn't sound like me. So I gave it a pass. Then when I heard that the critics were raving about the movie, I gave it another look. Loved it! It dragged just a little bit in the beginning, but if you skipped over this one, give it another look. I had so much fun visualizing it in my head that I can't wait to see the movie. Anyone old enough to remember, "Movie of the Week," will also remember the much anticipated mini series, "Shogun," by James Clavell. I read the book way back when. This time I decided it might be fun to listen to it

Court Reporting

in the News

http://youtu.be/LOwRKy-NvkA

Briefpedia

www.briefpedia.com

Linked-In with OCRA

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 7 

Legislative Bootcamp (Continued from page 4) take everything we learned and to prepare for the mock hearing that afternoon. At the mock hearing there were five senators from the judicial committee waiting to hear our testimony. They did their best to distract us, get us off track, break our train of thought, and engage us in things that were not relevant to our testimony. They had cell phones going off, in-fighting, passing phones across the table, and just not paying attention at some points. They also asked us tough questions and made us really think about what we were doing. At the end of all the mock hearings, a winning team was picked; however, we were not told who the winners were.

After the mock hearings we were all loaded onto a bus headed for NCRA headquarters for a tour and a little debriefing. Winners were announced there. There were two sets of “hearings” going on at the same time. My team was upstairs, and Robin’s team was downstairs. Team Charlie was the overall winner, but Robin’s team was the winner from downstairs. Way to go, Robin!

Now that we had been put through our paces, we were ready for the Hill on Tuesday. When we were loading up the buses on Tuesday morning, we learned that Senator Al Frankin had introduced the bill the night before. Talk about timing. This got everyone really excited for the task at hand.

Robin, Doug, and I managed to meet with people from all of our Oregon offices. When we got our official meeting schedule, we were only slated to meet with one actual representative, Senator Ron Wyden.

We started our meetings with Robin’s representative, Representative Earl Blumenauer, on the house side. Then we trekked over to the senate side to meet with Senator Ron Wyden, but met with his legislative correspondent instead.

Then it was back to the house

side again to meet with my representative, Representative Kurt Schrader. Of course, we were not scheduled to meet with him directly. We met with his staff person. However, while we were out in the hallway debriefing and jotting down some notes from our meeting, Doug noticed Representative Schrader leave his office. So we were able to do a “walk and talk” with him.

While we were on the house side, we decided to do drop-ins with our other representatives: Representative Suzanne Bonamici, Representative Peter DeFazio, and Representative Greg Walden. I was just anticipating leaving our materials there, but we were able to garner meetings at all three offices. Since we were done on the house side, it was time to go back over to the senate side for our meeting with Senator Jeff Merkley.

As I said before, we weren’t actually meeting with the senators and representatives, but everyone we spoke with was very receptive. We were able to get a couple cosponsors and supporters out of the meetings. It was really nice when we were meeting with all of our representatives to see bits of Oregon reflected in their offices, whether they were a Ducks fan or a Beaver fan, pictures of the Gorge and the Willamette, and little plastic bicycle pins.

After a long day of lobbying, we met for a debriefing at the Capitol Hill Club to go over all of our wins and any war stories that anybody had. During our debriefing, Congressman Dennis Ross from Florida stopped by to see us and talk to us. His wife is a court reporter, so he has a fondness for us and our issues. It sounded like most everyone had a positive day with lots of wins and only a few war stories.

Boot camp is hard work. It is exhausting. It is worth every intensive hour. This was my second boot camp experience, and I feel I still have so much

to learn. If you ever get a chance to go, you must do it. Step outside of your comfort zone and take the plunge.

Left to right: Robin Nodland, Doug Friend, Shellene Iverson.  

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

Page 8 

2013 Spring Conference ~ Save the date!

Things are gearing up for the 2013 Spring Conference and we’ve got a great lineup for your educational entertainment. We got positive feedback on last year’s facility, Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry, so we’re heading back for another day of seminars, networking, and visiting with friends. Our morning will start off with a physical therapist/hand specialist covering simple methods to limit the occurrence of repetitive strain injuries through ergonomics and exercise. In the glorious world of food, we’ll learn strategies to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule, tips for setting goals that won't set you up for failure, and how to spot a diet that is too good to be true. We’ll round out the morning with a town hall discussion covering the current legislative session, reporters in the courtroom, and other profession-related matters. The afternoon will focus on topics to help make you a business rock star! The CCBI is home to the Small Business Development Center, and its director, Marcia Bagnall, has crafted a two-part session that will be interactive and help you build and run a business that you can be proud of, no matter the experience you have. Our reporting students will also have a breakout session in the SBDC library to learn some business basics in a more intimate setting. Of course a conference wouldn’t be complete without door prizes and a FUNdraiser, so be sure to join us on Saturday, May 18th, and be prepared to be a winner! The agenda and registration can be found on OCRA’s website and in this issue of In Brief.

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SATURDAY, MAY 18

CCBI ~ 626 HIGH STREET NE

SALEM, OREGON

The Chemeketa Center for Business & Industry is home to the Small

Business Development Center (SBDC), a resource center for small businesses in Oregon.

The SBDC’s director will lead interactive sessions about building and running a business

that you can be proud of. The morning sessions will focus on keeping you at the top of

your game through healthy eating habits, prevention of hand injuries, and a discussion on

profession-related matters. .5 CEUs*

8:00-8:50 a.m. Registration/Check-in/Continental Breakfast

8:50-9:00 a.m. Welcoming remarks

9:00-10:00 a.m. Repetitive Strain Injuries: A Practical Approach to Prevention ~ Mark Healy,

Director of Physical Therapy (Hand Specialist), Hope Orthopedics, Salem

~ .1 CEU*

10:15-11:15 a.m. Town Hall Meeting – CSR Program, Legislative Matters & Reporters in the Courts

~ Moderated by Colleen McCarty, OCRA President ~ .1 CEU*

11:30-12:30 p.m. Healthy and Happy Eating for a Healthy Life – Karrie Stuhlsatz, RD, CSP, LD,

Dietitian, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland ~ .1 CEU*

12:30-1:30 p.m. Lunch/FUNdraiser

1:30-2:30 p.m. You Can Be a Business Rock Star! ~ Part 1 ~ Marcia Bagnall, Director, SBDC

Business best practices, record keeping made easy, how to market yourself so you

stand out, and much more. ~ .1 CEU*

2:45-3:45 p.m. You Can Be a Business Rock Star! ~ Part 2 ~ .1 CEU*

2:45~3:45 p.m. Breakout Session for Student Reporters – SBDC Library

CCBI MAP: http://www.chemeketa.edu/busprofession/ccbi/map.html

*Pending NCRA approval ~ .5 CEUs

2013 OCRA SPRING CONFERENCE: TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS 

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Saturday, May 18, 2012

CCBI ~ 626 High St NE

Salem, Oregon

Name: _________________________________________________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip: _______________________________________________________________

Phone/E-mail: _________________________________________________________________

________ $85 ~ OCRA professional member or member of another state association (other state members must attach proof of membership)

________ $35 ~ OCRA student member/associate member (Need CEUs? Please pay professional member fee)

________ $120 ~ Nonmember

________ $10 ~ Additional fee for registration after May 13, 2012

________ Donation to student fund

* If you have a special dietary restriction, please note it here. We will do our best to accommodate it: _____________________________________________________________________

Registration deadline is May 13, 2012. No refunds after deadline!

Make checks payable to OCRA.

Return registration form & payment to:

Shellene Iverson/OCRA Spring Conference 1219 SW 18th Avenue OR FAX (credit card only) 503-488-5578 Portland, OR 97205 Questions? Contact Mary Fagan at 503-409-5491 or [email protected]

*Pending NCRA approval ~ .5 CEUs

MasterCard / VISA accepted (5% service charge)

Name on card: ___________________________________ [MC / VISA] circle one

No.: ______________________________________ Expiration: _____________

Signature: _________________________________________________________

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Dear Nancy answers YOUR court reporting questions!

I had a deposi on in which the witness wants to read and sign, but was not represented by counsel and she did not want to buy a copy of the transcript. 

Dear Nancy:  I had a deposi on in which the witness wants to read and sign but was not   represented by counsel and she did not want to buy a copy of the transcript.  In this instance, do I send her a le er asking her to make an appointment with the court repor ng agency to come in and read and sign her transcript? Signed, Need Help in Needham

Read Nancy’s Response here: h p://thevarallogroup.com

 

Nancy Varallo, FAPR, RDR, CRR, owner of The Varallo Group, offers customized business development and administrative services to court reporters and reporting agencies. Nancy has been a court reporter since 1979, has trained hundreds of court reporters, and has fielded thousands of ques-tions from reporters. Please ask your questions at www.dearnancy.com

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OCRA Member Spotlight

Name: Elizabeth Archer

Position: CART Provider

Years in the field: 18 Why/how did you get into CART?

Being a court reporter was my dream job, or so I thought. That’s why I originally decided to go to College of Legal Arts. While attending school, I was asked if I wanted to try this new thing called real-time captioning for a high school student in the Portland area. Sounds interesting, I thought at the time. Maybe I’ll try that while honing my skills for the courts. That was 18 years ago, and here I am. I love CART work and the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met. I really can’t imagine doing anything else.

What do you enjoy most about your career?

I enjoy so many aspects of my work. I love the opportunity to meet and work with a variety of people. Every day is different. When one of your clients looks at you at the end of a job and says, “Thank you. You’ve changed my life.’’ Wow. I am humbled and blessed every time.

What advice would you give to a court reporting student?

If this is what you really want to do, don’t give up. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. You can make it happen, and you can make a difference.

Do you have any funny stories or experiences to share?

I do have some funny stories regarding vocabulary. So instead of sharing those stories I’ll just say that I’ve learned to hide the bad words so there’s no way they can come up accidentally.

Have you received any special award or certification that you’re most proud of?

I received the 2012 Greatest Mom In The World award last Mother’s Day. A gift from my family.

Name three things that people may not know about you.

1. I live in Portland with my husband, who is the best husband in the world for me.

2. We have five Yorkies, five children, seven grandchildren.

3. I am trying to become a recovering shop-a-holic.

“I love CART work and the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve met.

I really can’t imagine doing anything else.”

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Chris’s Corner by Christine Spencer

When I was young, my father the attorney would often complain about the constant use of “you know” in everyday conversation. Since I was very young and therefore so very wise, I thought my dad was being a curmudgeon about this brief and harmless phrase. It’s just a nervous tic, obviously utilized by people as they sit and ponder their next sentence. Now that my dad has passed on and I am older, I’ve decided it’s now my turn to criticize and yammer on endlessly about these two little words, and so let’s let the whining begin.

Dad’s response to “you knows” at the time was always, “No, I don’t know. That’s why I asked.” I’m not sure he ever got his point across, because the “you knows” just kept rolling along. I imagine anybody already searching for just the right words probably started stammering even further in an endless round of “you knows.” In fact, it’s frequently been my absolute pleasure to report some of those very incoherent sentences, with my own personal world record of about seven “you knows” in a sentence of maybe only twenty words.

I, on the other hand, if I could, would probably respond to “you know” today with, “Well, now that you ask, yes, you’re right. I do know. Prior to you kindly asking whether or not I know, I was clearly confused by what you were explaining here. That very simple ‘you know,’ repeated endlessly, has cleared up all of my previous confusion and I can now relate completely to what you were trying to describe.” My dad’s approach was directly snotty, while my own equally snotty attitude is a little more indirect. Still snotty, though.

Nowadays, I find many people have elongated this very short “you know” phrase and somehow it has grown into, “You know what I mean? You know what I’m saying?” This must be repeated endlessly at the conclusion of most statements: “I went to the store to buy some bread. You know what I mean? Then I walked on home. You know what I’m saying?” Boy, I’m sure glad you’re consulting me throughout all your answers. It proves that my input is extremely valuable to you. I’m really honored to be questioned so frequently today during your testimony.

My final favorite verbal tic is the constant use of “wise” as a suffix sprinkled throughout sentences, as in work-wise, salary-wise, relationship-wise, gastroenteritis-wise. Just about weekly somebody somewhere is guilty of this one. You know what I’m talking about? You know what I’m saying? When did the addition of “wise” at the end of every word suddenly make everything so much clearer? “Food-wise, I enjoy eating” is somehow an improvement over “I like to eat food”? Well, it’s certainly multisyllabic and more entertaining to listen to, so it gets lots of extra credit for that, I suppose.

I am no speaking paragon. I promise you this. I point my finger at others, but I’m quite unwilling to stand up to any grammar scrutiny myself. That’s why my current role is to sit silently in the corner, listen and write, then come home and rant and rave about this verbal craziness, just as my father did before me. (Love ya, Dad, way up there in the sky. You know what I mean? You know what I’m saying, daughter-wise?)

 

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

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In Brief   Spring 2013  

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