Letter from a pioneer Forum follower, United States-based Aurora Riel (December 9, 2017):
Visiting the Philippines, I ask myself—what’s wrong with me? I am in church praying and I look at the monitor showing an intended community prayer, so I join until the devil tried to get my attention—“Don’t wait for ‘the others’?”
What’s wrong with this? Why is it annoying? I actually decided to stop participating at this time for a community prayer. I know I need to hear your take on this.
At my age, I have to let you know that for years I have been enjoying your Forum and I have been always looking forward to learning elegant expressions that I could share with others (I wouldn’t say with “the others”).
P.S. Sir, no direct reply is needed—any reply as part of the Forum for the Holiday Season is good.
My reply to Aurora:
I’m delighted to hear from you again after a very long while, Aurora, this time while you’re a Balikbayan on a Christmas visit! It’s great that you are up and about and still able to make an 12,000-km or so trip from the U.S. to the Homeland without unbearable complications. I do hope you’re enjoying your stay and that you won’t encounter any more aggravations like that one that annoyed you in church during the community prayer.
May I ask precisely what got your goat about this remark: “Don’t wait for ‘the others’”? Please help me establish the context of its utterance. And who said it, the lector or the priest or whoever? As they say, “The Devil is in the details” and I want to make sure that I’m not tempted to commit a wrong opinion or judgment in this regard.
Do let me hear from you soonest about this so I can say something more concrete about your concern over what looks like bad English from your reckoning, if I’m not mistaken.
Enjoy the Holiday vacation to the utmost!