+ow I wound up with a wound from heteronyms
The (nglish language has something to confuse or annoy just about anyone ± the mysteries of who and whom usage, the e.g. vs. i.e. standoff, the polari]ing 2[ford comma. I have a long-standing, personal problem with heteronyms ± words that are spelled the same but don’t sound alike. $llow me to e[plain with a little story.
In order to graduate from the graduate program at my university, every student was reTuired to take part in a group discussion of heteronyms. 0y group asked me to take the lead which, alas, went over like a lead balloon.
I now know that when trying to perfect one’s thinking for the perfect presentation on heteronyms, you must project confidence in your project and be content with the content. I was not.
6hy by nature, I do not live to give live presentations. Nor am I very articulate, so it’s always been difficult for me to articulate my points.
The teacher, as if able to intimate my most intimate fears, knew this. Like a food fighter at a buffet, he immediately began to buffet me with criticisms. +e raised minute points every minute. I made a futile attempt to object to being made the object of his ridicule. I told the teacher his conduct was unacceptable and this was no way to conduct a class. +e told me my arguments were invalid and I was being an emotional invalid.
$s he continued to tear into me, I shed a tear.
I’m normally reluctant to attribute a negative attribute to anyone, but as I wicked away the moisture on my cheek with a tissue, I decided my teacher was a wicked man. There is no good e[cuse to e[cuse cruelty.
0eanwhile, the class took sides, and a row broke out in the back row.
6ensing I was sailing against the wind, I tried to wind up my presentation as Tuickly as possible.
$fterward, some classmates and I made a deliberate plan to meet so we could deliberate on what went wrong. They agreed that my big mistake was to just stand in front of the class and read what I had read. Technically, it isn’t plagiarism, but it also isn’t appropriate to appropriate others’ work.
They also agreed that my opening was poor, arguing I should have used my entrance to entrance my audience.
$s this record indicates, and as history will record, my interest in heteronyms continues. But thanks to that cruel teacher, I wound up with a wound that remains to this day.