Grammar Table
The world is weird. Last Wednesday when I was at the Upper West Side as I usually am for tap dance. I saw a person had set up a booth called the Grammar Table. Often a general principle is to avoid people on the street, avoid people who seem to be soliciting because they probably want to sell you something and it's not worth the trouble. Sometimes though it's good to follow your curiosity.
I had actually seen the grammar table a week prior but didn't want too approach because of the hesitations mentioned above. Seeing the table a second time provided the extra nudge I needed to check it out. I approached the grammar table, and I asked at least 3 grammar questions to which I still don't have all the answers to.
There's
- When do you use further vs farther
- When do you use who / whom
- When do you use effect / affect
I didn't internalize the details of the answers effectively, and I am sure if you wanted to find the answers they are available on the internet. From a learning perspective not internalizing the details isn't great. My rationalization is that for a lot of communication if the meaning is understood then the details are less important. The flip side is that having a certain style to how you talk can be helpful, and I'll admit I'm drawing the line of what I learn / don't learn in an arbitrary place.
As Ellen the woman behind the grammar table (both literally and figuratively) told me it's okay to ask questions multiple times, and it was reassuring to her that younger people also had this problem which she was attributing to old age. Plus, as Ellen's website points out the Grammar Table is more than grammar it's about connecting America and bringing us all closer together. Ellen actually went to all 50 states and set up a Grammar Table there and then wrote a book about it.
It's so interesting what people get up to, and the adventures that we can explore. I saw some of the power of bringing people together first hand, because when I was at the table someone else joined us. The quote below is from this person!
At the Grammar Table tonight, a woman told me she was a semicolon whore. I asked for clarification, and she said, "I use them and they use me."
— Ellen is at the Grammar Table (@GrammarTable) October 16, 2024
This woman then started sharing that her dream was to own a VW bug, and drive it in New York City. When I asked why she owned the car she shared that her dad was sick, and she would drive to him every 4 days. Her dad's dream was to go to the beach in a VW bus one more time, and have a donut. She shared that they made this dream come true, and right afterwards her dad died. When I heard the story I couldn't help but ask if the dad choked on a donut. Probably inappropriate.
Anyway it's so cool to indulge your curiosities whether it's going up to a booth to see what it's about, getting the courage to strike up a conversation with someone, or attending events that seem intriguing, and sometimes it's better to not indulge your curiosities or your urge to make a joke like asking if someone's dad choked on a donut.