In the past couple of decades, there has been a new language that surfaced. This language is the common vernacular of many different languages; just hidden and not thought about often unless sought out. Yes, I am talking about the language called “Like”. Now you may be thinking, “What is that?” But please leave your mind open to relish in the language of the 21st century. Me, being a student myself, I have  experienced this catastrophe first hand. You hear this everyday and just might not have paid close attention to it. A perky cheerleader’s favorite word. But that’s not the only place you would hear it. No, this common language is found in many places. 
 

Here’s a scenario. Speech giver number 12 walks up to the podium, sluggishly, and settles at center stage. The first thing to come out of their mouth is the forbidden word, “Um.”

And then you know. 

Already you are about to ask the teacher to go to the bathroom as an excuse to leave, the teacher is about ready to explode , and we're not even halfway through with the speeches! So, you sit through the speaker’s  “Ums” and “Uhs” sounding as if they were trying to imitate a meditation ritual. Meanwhile, you are imagining how many times you could use the excuse I need to go get something out of my locker  before the teacher figures you out. Or wonder if you hold your breathe, does it mean that time is slowing down or speeding up. Finally you give up on trying to pay any sort of attention,  listening to the last few “tick tocks” of the clock before you fall asleep you hear, “ That’s my report. " And you practically jump out of your seat with joy.

Though that might be the current way of talking, we as people should know more than a handful of words. Find new words! Do it now while you are young. Don’t be that adult that is being interviewed for a job and all you say is, “So….yeah….um….yeah, like…..yeah.” What does that even mean?! We need to think about what we are trying to say, before we try to say it. Just think, do you want your speech to deteriorate till we all just say a whole string of unknown  phrases, like Taz or Cookie Monster? We’ve been speaking since we were toddlers. We know our own language.We take a class about English for heaven’s sake! We as humans should be able to say a single sentence without including any of  those “Like” words. Please, do try to have a general idea of your speech before you get to the lectern. Please consider others time and mind set. Please, don’t “um” as if you are meditating during the speech. Please try and find different words for substitutions, because, fortunately, we don’t speak “like”.