Interconnected or random events, planned or haphazardly laid out, are mostly how each of our lives unfurl from one day to the next. If it were a reel of continuous film, each life is a series of conjunctions. Which takes us to, "What is a conjunction?" Well, let's get this out of the way first.
In grammar, a conjunction is:
"a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause (e.g. and, but, if )".
Everywhere else, a conjunction is defined to be:
I just finished reading a short book that has one very lengthy title, "It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences". 205 pages in paperback makes it a very short book indeed. I think the title is terribly unseemly for a book, but it's more than made up for by its contents. Always looking for ways to improve English writing - my second language - I found it to be an excellent resource on writing in a compact package. I give June Casagrande, the author, two thumbs up. We'll have to say she has the literary license to call her book however she wishes, which was a humorous allusion to one of the most famous opening lines in literature. Charles Dickens, I would surmise that if he were alive today, would not have been amused but "Tale of Two Cities" is unharmed by this and will continue to be a favorite classic for centuries to come. Let's hope future generations continue to read and people continue to write.
Now you know why I said that life is a series of conjunctions. But there is more. In life, at one point or another, we face subordinating conjunctions. Subordinating does seem to connote the negative but it is more than just that supposition. In this case the conjunction needs a subordinate. The phrase, "While I was sleeping" is one incomplete sentence begging for a subordinate phrase to complete it and make sense of it. That subordinate conjunction added to what could have been an independent and complete sentence, "I was sleeping" made us want to know more. There are a lot of possibilities. Let's take just one. "While I was sleeping I was awakened by a series of loud knocks on the door that grew louder and louder, followed by muffled but distinctly human voices that clearly came not just from one but likely from several people". That's what subordinating conjunctions do to one ordinary independent sentence. Now, we know, "While I was sleeping" brings on myriad possibilities to follow, from the uneventful to one full of drama.
I made up all those sentences above. In reality, life is full of circumstances similarly arranged. We, whether in family settings or community at large or at school or work or in sports, need coordinating conjunctions - always. We coordinate because we are not just a single point in space. Nor are we living in a single point in time. One point in space or one instance in time together make up the multiple events of our everyday life and conjunctions make us connect with everything else around us. Our plans, our dreams may begin with a subordinating conjunction and that is what motivates us to complete them. The subordinating conjunction, "when", as in "When I was born" opens up to a world of many possibilities. "If there is justice in this world" is a very loud one even if spoken softly.
On one hand one life's ambition get subordinated by circumstance, as in, "if only I had this or that; if only I was born somewhere else; if only I had the courage", etc. but why don't we coordinate that with, "but I must prevail by sheer will and determination, or "but I will make do as best as I could with where I am right now" or "but I choose not to let fear limit what I am capable of achieving".
Subordinating conjunctions in life have a way to dampen a dream or muzzle a motivated mind. They can also link seemingly two independent tracks or connect unrelated spirits into a partnership of two complementary ideas. To be clear we are now talking about life's conjunctions, away from the grammarian's limiting rules. Society demands conjunctions to link us all together. It also demands that for a merger of ideas to work a long time or go on forever, conjunctions must be color blind and prejudice-free. History is filled with conjunctions that only worked for a while. Nazism, communism and colonization and subjugation of people, though born out of conjunctions, they lasted only for so long because people were subordinately conjuncted to act against the nature of what is good by one person or groups of people demented by power or driven by horrific intentions.
On the other hand, a chance meeting, a random introduction can sometimes be a life changing coordinating conjunction of two people or groups of individuals drawn together by serendipity. Indeed, life's conjunctions are what makes existence transcend into what could be sublime and meaningful. If we are to review everything that occurred in our lives, from the minute small details to the profoundly earth-shaking events, conjunctions made all those possible. Our family tree, the history of our nations, the fate of a political system, they are all from "the action or an instance of two or more events".
Once we recognize that fact, it will forever make us a little more cognizant, a little more introspective, caring of each moment with and for other people around us. Life's conjunctions are all that define every connection that make up the story of us. Let's be aware, let us make certain that no matter how insignificant or even short lived, each conjunction in our lives occurred either for a reason or meant to be. Make each conjunction one carbon atom added to every soft iron molecule of an ordinary life into a steely resolve to make good one little corner and all that is around it.
In grammar, a conjunction is:
"a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause (e.g. and, but, if )".
Everywhere else, a conjunction is defined to be:
"the action or an instance of two or more events or things occurring at the same point in time or space".
I just finished reading a short book that has one very lengthy title, "It was the best of sentences, it was the worst of sentences". 205 pages in paperback makes it a very short book indeed. I think the title is terribly unseemly for a book, but it's more than made up for by its contents. Always looking for ways to improve English writing - my second language - I found it to be an excellent resource on writing in a compact package. I give June Casagrande, the author, two thumbs up. We'll have to say she has the literary license to call her book however she wishes, which was a humorous allusion to one of the most famous opening lines in literature. Charles Dickens, I would surmise that if he were alive today, would not have been amused but "Tale of Two Cities" is unharmed by this and will continue to be a favorite classic for centuries to come. Let's hope future generations continue to read and people continue to write.
However, this musing, is not about writing. Chapter 2 in the book is titled, "Conjunctions That Kill". As to be expected, from there I meandered into all kinds of things.
That's the grammar part. They actually do have parallel connotations in life, if we look more deeply into, "the action or an instance of two or more events or things occurring at the same point in time or space".
Before we leave the grammar part - I promise we will not linger for far too long - let me explain why I picked conjunctions as a core point from where to meander and launch streams of words in an attempt to merge them into, hopefully, a cohesive river of thoughts. Judge for yourself if I succeeded but please do read on.
Immediately we find that conjunctions are either coordinating or subordinating. One not to outweigh the other but I like coordinating conjunctions because when they're taken out the sentences they connect are independently complete sentences. We know we can live by without conjunctions in how we speak or write. So, why do we need them? Conjunctions are like the carbon atoms wedged within the lattices of malleable soft pure iron. Carbon atoms turn iron into more rigid, stiffer and harder steel. That's what conjunctions do, in a way.
As a memory aid, the book came up with FANBOYS to remember coordinating conjunctions, and they are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so., which makes them the more special than the subordinating ones, such as, after, although, while, before, if, because, etc. And there are phrases too, such as : as long as, even though, in order that, whether or not, etc.
That's the grammar part. They actually do have parallel connotations in life, if we look more deeply into, "the action or an instance of two or more events or things occurring at the same point in time or space".
That right there is how our lives get intertwined. That's how our world are connected. Then we find out that the grammar definition of conjunction will not leave us alone.
Coordinating conjunctions connect two phrases or sentences that can stand alone on their own independently.
Take, "I love her." And "I don't understand her". Two independent sentences. With a conjunction, the two sentences could become, "I love her but I don't understand her." Suddenly, a simple three letter conjunction, "but", just added a little drama to what seemed like two ordinary but independently sensible and otherwise common expressions. Right away we want to know more. Why and what is it that you are not able to understand about her, but you love her anyway? Is it about how she says things or how she does anything? That little conjunction made two independent sentences come alive with all kinds of speculation and innuendos.
How about if we say, "I don't understand her, yet I love her". Now we're talking about how one conjunction shifted the drama from an intriguing declaration to one that is noble and meaningful expression of devotion. Either that or the speaker is actually begging for an answer himself.
Coordinating conjunctions connect two phrases or sentences that can stand alone on their own independently.
Take, "I love her." And "I don't understand her". Two independent sentences. With a conjunction, the two sentences could become, "I love her but I don't understand her." Suddenly, a simple three letter conjunction, "but", just added a little drama to what seemed like two ordinary but independently sensible and otherwise common expressions. Right away we want to know more. Why and what is it that you are not able to understand about her, but you love her anyway? Is it about how she says things or how she does anything? That little conjunction made two independent sentences come alive with all kinds of speculation and innuendos.
How about if we say, "I don't understand her, yet I love her". Now we're talking about how one conjunction shifted the drama from an intriguing declaration to one that is noble and meaningful expression of devotion. Either that or the speaker is actually begging for an answer himself.
Now you know why I said that life is a series of conjunctions. But there is more. In life, at one point or another, we face subordinating conjunctions. Subordinating does seem to connote the negative but it is more than just that supposition. In this case the conjunction needs a subordinate. The phrase, "While I was sleeping" is one incomplete sentence begging for a subordinate phrase to complete it and make sense of it. That subordinate conjunction added to what could have been an independent and complete sentence, "I was sleeping" made us want to know more. There are a lot of possibilities. Let's take just one. "While I was sleeping I was awakened by a series of loud knocks on the door that grew louder and louder, followed by muffled but distinctly human voices that clearly came not just from one but likely from several people". That's what subordinating conjunctions do to one ordinary independent sentence. Now, we know, "While I was sleeping" brings on myriad possibilities to follow, from the uneventful to one full of drama.
I made up all those sentences above. In reality, life is full of circumstances similarly arranged. We, whether in family settings or community at large or at school or work or in sports, need coordinating conjunctions - always. We coordinate because we are not just a single point in space. Nor are we living in a single point in time. One point in space or one instance in time together make up the multiple events of our everyday life and conjunctions make us connect with everything else around us. Our plans, our dreams may begin with a subordinating conjunction and that is what motivates us to complete them. The subordinating conjunction, "when", as in "When I was born" opens up to a world of many possibilities. "If there is justice in this world" is a very loud one even if spoken softly.
On one hand one life's ambition get subordinated by circumstance, as in, "if only I had this or that; if only I was born somewhere else; if only I had the courage", etc. but why don't we coordinate that with, "but I must prevail by sheer will and determination, or "but I will make do as best as I could with where I am right now" or "but I choose not to let fear limit what I am capable of achieving".
Subordinating conjunctions in life have a way to dampen a dream or muzzle a motivated mind. They can also link seemingly two independent tracks or connect unrelated spirits into a partnership of two complementary ideas. To be clear we are now talking about life's conjunctions, away from the grammarian's limiting rules. Society demands conjunctions to link us all together. It also demands that for a merger of ideas to work a long time or go on forever, conjunctions must be color blind and prejudice-free. History is filled with conjunctions that only worked for a while. Nazism, communism and colonization and subjugation of people, though born out of conjunctions, they lasted only for so long because people were subordinately conjuncted to act against the nature of what is good by one person or groups of people demented by power or driven by horrific intentions.
On the other hand, a chance meeting, a random introduction can sometimes be a life changing coordinating conjunction of two people or groups of individuals drawn together by serendipity. Indeed, life's conjunctions are what makes existence transcend into what could be sublime and meaningful. If we are to review everything that occurred in our lives, from the minute small details to the profoundly earth-shaking events, conjunctions made all those possible. Our family tree, the history of our nations, the fate of a political system, they are all from "the action or an instance of two or more events".
Once we recognize that fact, it will forever make us a little more cognizant, a little more introspective, caring of each moment with and for other people around us. Life's conjunctions are all that define every connection that make up the story of us. Let's be aware, let us make certain that no matter how insignificant or even short lived, each conjunction in our lives occurred either for a reason or meant to be. Make each conjunction one carbon atom added to every soft iron molecule of an ordinary life into a steely resolve to make good one little corner and all that is around it.
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