WP2: This is my “Plug Talk”
I never gave conversation much thought until the first time I used profanity in front of my family. The only times I cursed was in front of my friends, but never really in front of my grandma or siblings. When the words slipped out of my mouth, I was petrified but no one really cared, luckily. From that moment on, I began noticing how different I was when I was with my friends and when I was with family, noticeable in my colloquialisms.
Once I reached my junior and senior years of high school, I generated a greater sense of identity. With this understanding, I began infusing the different colloquialisms because I wanted to express my most unapologetic self. This is not to say I speak to everyone the same, because I would never use such profanity in front of my grandma. But I’ve definitely noticed a fuse in my flow and vocabulary when speaking to others.
“Dialogue is thus an existential necessity” (Freire, 88)
Dialogue carries critical thinking and ideas that allow for true communication and education. This is an idea I’ve come to really resonate with as I began noticing how I utilize conversations to reinforce what I’ve learned and express my identity. You may be thinking, “duh, when you speak to others you express yourself” but it means more to me than that. Conversations allow me to balance the multifaceted parts of myself to those who I trust, ultimately balancing my sanity and happiness. Conversations also allow me to access the amount of knowledge I carry on a specific topic such as; politics/social issues, general education, pop-culture/music, and even street culture. For me at least, conversations are linked with reflective practice. Each conversation carries a different meaning and function that brings new opportunities for self-reflection and greater awareness. In each conversation, I explore and reflect on the roles of listening, banter, exchange, and superheroes.
Through these interpersonal interactions, I’ve learned more about how to communicate ideas, advocate, becoming a leader, and just having fun. Through this archive, I share a sample-sized conversation between my family, friends, classmates, and siblings. In these conversations, there is a new reflection to be held that further pieces my evolving identity. This is my “Plug Talk”
Works Cited
Allen, Sydney. Vershawn Ashanti Young, Rhetoric Professor https://oberlinreview.org/14756/news/vershawn-ashanti-young-rhetoric-professor/. Accessed 5 March 2021.
Freire, Paulo, et al. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Bloomsbury Academic, 2018. Accessed 5 March 2021.
Shakman, Matt. WandaVision, 2021. Accessed 5 March 2021.
ZOOXPANDA. “Gucci Mane-Plug Talk HQ.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6HJ67cVYq4. Accessed 5 March 2021.
