How many times has someone reading your work ever comment it sounds "weak"? Did you happen to use the word, "only" or "just"? Don't feel alone. I do it all the time without knowing. You see, I just don't know of another way to say things. See! I just used it. Dang it! I used it again. Now, read back over the previous few sentences and see if removing the word, "just" will still give the sentence the same meaning. Does this mean the person is weaker and the writer doesn't think very strongly of themselves? During my time attending CoDA meetings (Codependents Anonymous), someone may say they "only need a little attention", or if they could "just get their spouse to behave". In a group setting with other people sharing, the use of the words "only" and "just" stood out more than others. Here, we could quickly sense when the person sharing was thinking little of themselves and thought more of another person. We could also quickly identify when a person was wishing or thought they could control someone else. After a few meetings, you noticed yourself saying the same things in conversation. Wow! Could I think so little of myself that someone else was worth more. Duh, why was I at the meeting to begin with? I'll save that story for an entire chapter of my book, or rather an entire book in itself. For now, it's a work in progress. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nothing weak or belittling of someone attending a 12-step program. If you know me well, you know that I can recite the 12-steps and the 12-traditions in my sleep. This topic will definitely be another chapter in the book. The point is that as an academic writer now and in the future, the words "just" and "only" may appear too weak and may not give the effect desired. My hopes are that I will have a good balance of academic and "fun" writing, so all those "justs" and "onlys" pent up inside me can bust out of my head without reserve.
