Who is “one" anyway?

Dear reader,

years ago we were sitting on the balcony as a family and had a BBQ. My sister told us about last night. I don't remember her exact words, but something along the lines of, “I had a mosquito in my room yesterday. It was flying around and buzzing. And when one turns on the light, it's gone!” To which our mother asked, “Who was the 'one' in your room, who turned on the lights?”

Even today I'm surprised that it was my mother, who jumped on the phrasing. Normally I have quite good ears for such things. In this moment my heart was turned on however, because we all know those nights too well, don't we, where mosquitoes are humming and annoying, when we want to sleep. My father is also fairly good, hearing discrepancies in what was being said and commenting on it. He too hadn't reacted on that that evening.

Who is this unknown, undefined person “one” anyway? You can find them in recipes and other instructions and guidelines, in German, at least. Probably not so common in cooking recipes in English. (Sometimes one has to think hard to come up with good examples in a language that's not their native one.) At least in English it's more common for “you” to take the table spoons. So that's good. I think.

“They” can also be charming and very intelligent people. “They say...” Who's doing the research for those people?

They say that lots of stuff on the internet is stupid. Maybe so is this entry. I don't know. I only thought of that evening on the balcony the other day, when I heard a mosquito in my room buzzing around an when I turned on the light, it was gone most of the times. The times I did see it, I was sadly unable to crush it.

Until next blog,

sarah