The language of love

Being a linguistics student and a writer, I am fascinated by language. Like a painter uses paints and brushes to create a rich portrait, a writer use language to create a rich and vivid portrait of life, full of texture and colour. In the same way that visual artists use different media and techniques to create different artworks, writers use words and language in different way to create their literary art. The same utterance, rendered in different ways, can create meaning: te amo mi amor is sensual and romantic, I love you is simple and honest, luv ya babe is friendly and bold.

I want to briefly discuss the idea of how language is used to create meaning by using one of my favourite blogs as an example (I trust the authors won’t object). The blog is Boys are Ugly But So Cute, the authors are boyfriends Mikey and Ryan.

I have to admit that when I started reading their blog some months ago, their use of language made my skin creep. I naively wrote their writing off as being sub-standard. As I have kept reading and following their lives I have reflected, with deep shame, that my judgement of their use of language was extremely elitist and totally wrong. What a fool I was! I can't appologise enough to you both for my arrogance. Yes, they sometimes miss out punctuation and they often mix up homophones (words that sound the same, such as their, there and they’re), but I would assert that rather than being “wrong”, it adds to the rich texture of their writing. This was posted on the 23rd of March:

Back inside I found Mikey I ask him you call them yet with his sad eyes he said no I was just fixing 2 I told him then when u call them u tell them u will take the job. He said what? I said you heard me tell them you will take it. He ask 4 real YES MIKEY 4 REAL! I know I already told babe but I want 2 say it on here I Love You more than life and my Dad is right you took a chance 4 me and now I will 4 u. I believe in you and I know we will be just fine. So people we are moving 2 Florida in about a month. Yes I am scared to death but I knoe it's the right thing 2 do and we will be fine.

Instead of wasting time (like I do) on technicalities, Mikey and Ryan write from the heart. Their love for each other flows out of their fingers into their keyboard and touches the hearts of their readers. I can only hope that my writing does the same.

This week, Mikey was in a terrible bike accident and is now in hospital in a coma while his Ryan keeps a vigil by his bedside. Ryan has written briefly about the accident:

I need 2 make this quick but I need your prayers more now than I ever have before. Friday evening Mikey went out with my Dad & Brother riding the quad runners and there was an accident. Mikey was hurt real bad they had 2 fly him 2 the hospital. I can't say anymore than that right now I need 2 get back with him they made me come home last night 2 sleep and shower. So please pray 4 him and I will update u as soon as I can.

If you pray, pray for them. If you don’t pray, think of them.
If you don’t read their blog, perhaps it’s time you start.
Such expressive writing like theirs is hard to find and doesn’t come often.
Love like this doesn’t happen often.

My prayers are with you Ryan and Mikey.