I’m a podcast fiend, and, from what I’m told, friendly folk. (Stay with me, it’s about to come together.)

I’m super sensitive to words, as you may have guessed. As a writer, I try hard not to repeat the same word or phrase a sentence or two later, unless it’s part of the pattern. Get it?

I have a family member who, every other sentence, says, “you know what I mean?”. Why, yes, I do know. (I’m already annoyed typing this.) Ok, so if it’s just them, I can get over it. But because my mind works overtime (I meditate daily, it still happens, I know!), I start to notice more and more people using this placeholder.

I’m listening to a pretty famous podcast one week, and a VERY famous celebrity, ends every other sentence with… you guessed it, “you know what I mean?”, and I’m totally triggered.

And in so many social situations, it’s a constant placeholder, that I too, a persnickety writer, also uses on occasion. But dang if I don’t find it necessary. I do like to make sure people understand what I’m saying as fact or truth, I mean, I’m no POTUS 45, so I usually just speak the truth, but I do want folx to clearly follow instructions, especially if we work together. And of course if I’m reporting on the radio, I better portray the truth as gospel, you know what I mean? (Ha! I couldn’t help myself.)

But, now I’m finding it necessary to start correcting myself, so that in work situations, I say, “I hope I am being clear”, “does that make sense”, “do you get what I’m saying?”, “do you understand where I’m going” or just a simple “you following me bro?” I kid, I don’t say bro. You get my point.

There are literally a plethora of delightful phrases, or placeholders that can be interchanged in our daily communication to get our point across, capisce?