The Death of "I"

SO confused. Just don't understand. Trying, though.

Do you notice something missing from the above sentences? Oh yeah. . . The word "I"! Now, I'm going to vent a little, but I don't want you to feel self-conscious as you read, or after. . . well, maybe a little bit. :)

A few years ago, I was watching "American Idol." They had just heard a good audition and Simon proclaimed, "LOVE this guhl!" (girl) I was confused for half a second. Did he mean HE loved that girl, or that he was commanding ME to? I knew he meant HE loved her, but what ever happened to saying, "I love this girl."

I think about this a lot, and I've realized that we don't take ownership of our feelings, for fear that we will sound too sentimental or formal and that we'll make other people, or ourselves, feel uncomfortable. Things are just so relaxed and and casual and even lazy, that it has become awkward in many cases to use the word "I".

Here are some more examples:
"SO glad you came."
Why not say, "I'm so glad you came." or even "We're so glad you came."?

Here's an example from the kids:
Kid:"He got hit."
Mom:" Who hit him?"
Kid: "I hit him."
(well, that changes things.)

Another:
"Sorry." How about "I'm sorry."
Without the I, you're just saying a word with almost no meaning behind it. The I is what makes it meaningful!

Or even:
"Love these pants!" You do, or you're telling me to?

And my biggest pet peave:
"Love ya!"
(OK, before I go on, since this one if going to rumple some feathers, I must clarify that in some instances, like in an informal email (or letter- remember those?) or a quick phone call, "Love ya" is acceptable. I guess it's just not my personality, but if it's yours, you have my permission to use this phrase where appropriate. :) I'm sorry if you're hating me by this point, folks.)

Gary is NOT allowed to say "Love ya" to me. Now, this may sound like I'm a Nazi when it comes to how people are "allowed" to talk to me, and this simply isn't true- except in this case and with this particular person. :) Every time Gary and I tell each other that we love each other we say, "I love YOU." It means so much more. I will not allow us to get casual in how we tell each other something like that, no matter how many times a day we say it. I realized this soon after we were married and we were ending a phone call and he said, "Love ya!" like his family always does. I said, "I'm not your sister." We laughed and we have said, "I love you" ever since.

I have noticed that I too will say, "Love you." I'm not exempt from this new phenomenon, but that doesn't mean I don't get annoyed with myself when I do. I don't want to be the overly sentimental one and sound all weird when I say, "I love you," after someone says, "Love ya!" But it just doesn't feel right to me. When I tell someone I love them I want them to know that I love THEM, not because it's implied but because I actually said the words. It's OK to be personal when you're talking about how you feel about someone, since that's what it is anyway!

I'm sorry if I made anyone mad or self-conscious. But, if you do hate me by this point, please say, "I hate you" and not "Hate you," just so everything's clear and we know who hates whom.:) (I never actually say "whom", but I figured since I was getting all proper up your mug, I'd use it. So, if you want to fight me on "whom", feel free!) But, I must say that I'd rather people said, "Love ya" or "Sorry" or even "Love this shirt!" than to never say them at all. But, would it be too painfully awkward to throw in one tiny word that means SO much more in front of any statement that you make? A word that is becoming neglected to the point of near obliteration? C'mon! It's cute, it's little, it's

I.