Saturday, September 21, 2019

Our changing world

Taken on Ptarmigan Ridge last week
I am still enjoying looking at the astounding pictures I got on the hike last Thursday: clouds, fog, mountains, all in perfect hiking weather. It was so good to be out again, and to have my knee hold up just fine, along with all the other parts of my body that have been giving me trouble lately. And I didn't fall! Not once.

There are so many ways that our social environment is changing right before our eyes. Just this morning I read that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has added "their" as an acceptable alternative to using "his" or "her." There is a wonderful article by AndrĂ© Wheeler on The Guardian that gives a long description of how it's come about. Here's an  excerpt:
The recognition of “they” as a singular, non-gender-specific pronoun comes as its usage grows in popularity, especially among people who identify as neither male nor female. However, these adoptees frequently face critics who claim the usage is not “grammatically correct.”
I consider myself to be a bit of a stickler for correct language usage. It's been obvious from the many cultural changes in the past few decades that gender-neutral pronouns are becoming more necessary. So, I bow to the new world we are now facing. Oh, and I ran across this absolutely hilarious video of a father having "the talk" with his son, and realizing he should have done his homework a bit better. I apologize for the lead-in ad, but you can skip it after a few seconds.

Yes, the world is changing. I hope I'll be around for a few more years to see how it all turns out politically. But whatever, I am already happy for the time I've had to enjoy watching the evolution.
:-)

15 comments:

  1. Video unavailable in my country.
    We do indeed live in a changing world, and some of those changes are for the better. I really love the way we are (mostly) learning to be more inclusive about sexuality. And wish that inclusiveness would spread.
    Hooray for a body which did what you asked. Without falls.

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  2. We are at a turning point in theirstory, when a parental unit finds it awkward to talk to their them. But their conversation sure is theirsterical!

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  3. What a stunning view...breathtakingly gorgeous !
    Glad to hear you are hiking without pain once again, it really puts a damper on things.
    ~Jo

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  4. Tom's comment is great! I have not personally encountered a them/their situation, but I hope I will be ready if I do. It all sounds confusing.

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  5. Changes seem to be coming at a much more rapid pace. Computers allow us to do so much more.

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  6. This is an amusing post. I noticed that I tend to use THEIR when I should be using HIS or HER. haha

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  7. OMG! That video was so funny--but true to the times, I guess.

    Beautiful photo. Had to be wonderful to be back hiking and no problems! :)

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  8. Your thoughts and wellll...everything about you are/is a joy D J

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  9. Love the view and the fact that you are pain and fall free. Yipee. Wow, that was funny but I sure felt sorry for that Dad. Hard to keep up these days.
    I tend to use their when I don't know gender--like someone's dog or cat.

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  10. Changing and not for the good either. People are not looking at each other and talking anymore:(

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  12. I had to delete my comment because I had a weird slip-up after reading your "their" post. I used "their" incorrectly. The horror! (it wasn't to be funny either) Good grief. I'm glad there is so much beauty in the world. I'm getting better at punctuation and grammar.

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  13. Oh yes... It's definitely a different world and changing constantly. Funny, but my mother complains about the same thing in Japan.

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