100% Friday
By Steve Sharp
I felt a ring of empathy with comedian and writer Paul Kerensa’s slot on Radio 2’s Pause for Thought this week.
He started by relating a conversation with his mother who was objecting to the overuse of the word ‘amazing’ these days. I could add to that the word ‘awesome’. In everyday conversation, things are rarely amazing or full of awe. They are just good.
He went on to describe how everything is 100% now, or worse, beyond 100%. “I’m with you 110%. 1000% yes,” instead of just yes.
Our speech, of course is always evolving with extremes and superlatives, so that things become ‘best’ and ‘greatest’ rather than just good. Kerensa reminds us that in the 1980’s we had The Good Life, but now we are ‘living our best life’. We used to have good friends, but now it seems we have ‘100% besties’.
Our ancestors may have “become a little emotional on a good day out” rather than “tote’s emosh’ on our best day eves’.”
He notes that The Bible has The Good Samaritan, not The Best Samaritan, and that God looked upon creation and saw that it was good, not ‘greatest of all time’ or ‘GOAT’ as the popular text goes! The gospel itself is known as The Good News, or The Good Book which relates to Good Friday, and the so-called Greatest Story Ever Told, which is a matter of faith.
He closed by saying that he would try to live that good life, with good friends and have a good day, but might just say out loud “I’m living my best life with my 100% besties” just to embarrass his children!
Image source: RedLeaderUK
This Easter weekend we have a double bank holiday, derived from holy day, and it coincides with Passover and Ramadan. People of many faiths, or none, reflecting on their beliefs and spending time with family and friends.
Amazing!
Steve