"SHOUT" To Be Heard and Believed

satchitananda · Nov 27, 2015

[JUSTIFY]"Hello", I call my Woman Friday to ask her something.
Now all I can say is either WF gets very excited when she hears my voice or she thinks I am deaf. Her voice immediately steps up a few decibels (I love understatement). To be very honest, the apt word would have been "shrieks". I know my hearing leaves something to be desired, but her shouting does nothing to help. If anything, on the contrary.

I am no big fan of Arnab Goswami. However, I happened to be watching the news channel tonight to hear what our PM had to say on the floor of Parliament. There came AG all excited at 9 PM - the source of his excitement was the PM and his politically sauve moves which according to AG have pushed Congress into a corner. I could not understand why he was screaming out the headlines. Does that make what he says true? Does he feel what he believe he would be disbelieved if he does not shout? Or is he worried that the PM did not shout loud enough to be heard or believed by the public?

Talking of shrieking, I have a confession to make. I shriek too, but the reason is totally different. I used to shriek when playing Aunt Dahlia to my personal infant Bertie. The poor mite (oh, that is only figuratively speaking, he was quite a 'handful' literally speaking) used to believe that he could sleep only if he screamed. So I used to sing a lullaby about 10 decibels higher. The poor fellow used to give me a shocked look and go off to sleep feeling la-la land was a safer place to be than the lap of an Aunt Dahlia (even if she was only a counterfeit, she gave a perfect rendition of the original one who tended to address the original Bertie over the phone or indoors, as if 'shouting across ploughed fields in a high wind'). The other reason I need to raise my voice these days is to ensure the class can hear me over the sound of their internal blabbering. My throat hurts. Makes me wonder if AGiip has a never-ending stock of throat soothers at home! :-D [/JUSTIFY]

Viswamitra · Nov 28, 2015

Dear Satchi,

I took the words of wisdom my Guru very seriously and I have been speaking with low volume for the past so many years. Occasionally, my material grandfather's voice come to me only to be prompted by my wife that I am forgetting the teachings of the Guru and going back to my ancestral habits.

Last Saturday I had two lectures in the University followed by one speaking engagement in our spiritual center on Sunday. When I landed in the Business School, I was very impressed with the auditorium with WiFi facility and points for the students to hook their laptops. However, I didn't find a mike. With 150 plus audience, I was asked to speak without a mike. I ended up shouting for nearly an hour not only presenting my subject but also by answering questions. Within 30 minutes I had another lecture to give as well. By the time I finished with my second, my voice had a major setback. Now I have nothing but appreciation for the teachers.

Viswa

Balajee · Nov 28, 2015

Arnab Goswam Satchi not Mukherjee. I think. B ut is there an Arnab Mukherjee too.? That would be terrifying taking decibel levels very high. One Arnab is bad enough but two? Arnab is one of those who firmly believe despite strong evidence to the contrary that if you shout you can browbeat people into believing them.

satchitananda · Nov 28, 2015

Dear Viswa,

You screamed for half an hour to be heard through an auditorium!!! That must be some effort! Congratulations for having surivived it.

All this shouting has left me with a sore knee and back and am back resting at home! :-D

satchitananda · Nov 28, 2015

Hi Balajee, that was a boo boo. That is the result of trying to type out a snippet while listening to said AM, sorry AG. Anyway, the second letter does not matter - the letter A is enough to make anyone shudder, even a Balajee!

Shall request CS to please correct that mistake.

Kamalji · Nov 28, 2015

Dear Satchi,

Here in one classroom of 100 english learning students , i saw the professor speaking with a mike. so try that and u wont have to raise yr voice.Mumbling will do.

AG, well i have stopped watching him, he has no manners, he interupts people midway, he may think that is cute, but i think that is crass.But still people watch him, why, i wonder.

Well those who are deaf should watch his programme, maybe the ear drums may burst, the closed ear canals open up, and they can hear again.But after listing a few tiems to AG, who knows they may want to be deaf again.

Regards

kamal

Agatha83 · Nov 28, 2015

Dear Satchi,
Just walking through the roads of Chennai, you will be amazed to see scores of people shouting out their personal matters through their mobiles.By the way, you seem to be a good fan of P G.Woodhouse!

jayasala42 · Nov 29, 2015

My father, a history and English teacher had a magnificent thunderous voice.He worked from 1910-1947 in St. Joseph's Tiruchirapalli and as a full time teacher in a tutorial college from 1947 to 1977.67 years of continuous teaching!
(He was the single bread winner for a joint family of 25-30 people.He had to conduct marriages of 15 girls inclusive of my cousins)

He could address even 300 people without mike.Any announcement or Vignaapanam,as it was called, in temples, mutts and vidvat sadhas was done by Appa.
In 1977, when he was 88 years old, he came back from school and suddenly he got paralytic stroke.He felt very bad he could not speak.But with timely treatment he regained the same full throated speech within a month.
Everyone in the village used to say'Sir's voice can be heard from the next street.
My father passed away in 1982 at the age of 94. His voice reverberates even today.
Thanks Viswa Sir for rewinding my old memories.
jayasala 42

Srama · Nov 29, 2015

Dear Satchi,

One of the things I learnt watching ABs of life is never to be like them Seriously I am such a sissy when the voices are loud, it is not even funny. One time a good friend of mine and her husband were fighting, you know the usual husband-wife brawl and I got scared and came out quietly which in turn scared the heck out of them. Now when I am around, they make sure they keep their voices low! That said when my kids get out of control, all I have to do is become quiet..oh you must see the silence in the classroom. They remind me of the phrase "pin drop silence". They have learnt that the quieter I am, the angrier I must be! A fellow teacher agrees that never to raise the voice is the best way to approach students, at least my kind. Your kind, I know is a whole different story! Good luck with that!

PushpavalliSrinivasan · Nov 29, 2015

Dear Satchi,
AG thinks that he is is the sole advocate for the millions of people of this country and so he has to shout on behalf of all these people in one voice. Hence no wonder that he shouts.

The most irritating point is that he interrupts frequently when the panelists are talking and doesn't allow them to voice their opinion.

PS