The One About an Idea Being Born

Every idea starts with a niggle, like a soft pain in the leg. You ignore it and the pain seems to subside. Only to come back in a sharper form, nudging you to take action. Until you do. My niggle had been very patient with me- giving me week on week to do other pressing things-like binge watch Slow Horses, cleaning out all the cupboards, taking out each and every weed from the garden. And then it sidled up to me and whispered gently ‘what about your idea? ‘

The idea itself is a very simple one. To help people speak well. To help them to pronounce simple words like development, monastery, determine, government, breakfast correctly. So that, unknowingly, they don’t embarrass themselves. Like I did. As a 17-year-old from hick towns of Uttar Pradesh, entering the Delhi University of yore. Admission to the top colleges was given to only the best, and getting a hostel seat was even more coveted. All around me, that first day, were girls from the best schools in the country, wearing levi jeans (a big thing then), speaking an English which seemed so different from mine-  from convent educated me. A face popped up in front of me and said, “How do you do?”  I replied, “fine, thank you”- giving myself away in that reply. Not knowing that a how do you do is always answered with another how do you do!

The first few months I must have made so many faux pas. I remember the ‘steak’ time clearly. Never having eaten steak- I always read it as steek. One day there was a discussion around food, and I don’t know why and in what context – but I said steek. There was a moment’s silence and then someone picked up the thread and said stake was her favourite and she had it medium done. From that day I vowed that I would never speak a word I didn’t know how to pronounce correctly. I would observe and practice and only then speak. College was followed by my first job at The Times of India. We were a young team of three, and the chairman’s son and daughter took us under their wings. There were many lunches at five star hotels and there I picked up a lot of dining, ordering etiquettes, as well as the pronunciation of many dishes. Watching English movies did the rest.

The debate around "speaking well" versus "not speaking well" is multifaceted, encompassing not only linguistic skill but also social perception, personal confidence, and even the impact of words themselves. While eloquence and polished language are often valued, there is always going to be appreciation for authenticity and the ability to connect with others on a personal level, even if one's speech isn't diction perfect. It is not only, and always ,command over a language that gets you to your sweet spot- many well spoken gentlemen have landed in jail, or fled the country to avoid jail. But, being well spoken does ensure that people listen to you. Whether you are able to use this time to your advantage is another story.

The story that is breaking now is mine. About an idea whose time has come.

#pitchperfect_you