b for Beg

Beg

According to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, the word “beg” is a verb meaning: 1. to ask for as charity or as a gift  2. to ask for earnestly as a kindness or favor.  It also is: to ask humbly;entreat.  Another use of “beg” is to use an argument that assumes as proved the very thing one is trying to prove i.e. to evade the issue.

Now in my experience, I have begged, with humbleness, to not be punished—both as a child and as an adult.  I sought mercy  and literally begged for it.  Unfortunately, it seldom worked.  As a child, the response was usually, “Rules are rules.  You broke the rules, you will be punished.”  As an adult, when stopped by a police officer, there was really no discussion as I begged and then signed the ensuing ticket for speeding or parking illegally.  Mercy was not a term discussed in my begging in cases like those.  In fact, there was no discussion at all other than my violation.

I have also encountered others who beg.  At gas stations, on roadways, at convenience stores, people have literally begged for change, dollars.  If it is for food, I offer to buy it for them.  Sometimes seeing them smile and nod, it makes me happy to help them and they are happy to get food in their belly.  If they look at me like I am crazy, I shrug and say, “If you change your mind, let me know,” and that is the end of the begging.  

Now on a regular basis, I volunteer to help feed the homeless and their pets and those I work with and I hand out lunches.  Never once in the many months I have participated has anyone been unappreciative nor begged.  Our group receives thank yous, God bless yous, and smiles and tears.  The homeless will, however, point out another homeless person that needs to eat, and offer their lunch to them rather than see their friend hungry who is hungrier than they think they are.  But never have they begged.  There is a sense of solemn dignity in not begging.

I am sure everyone has had the experience of having to beg at some time or another, if not for her/him self, for others they love and care about.  I have begged for animals to be spared a cruel punishment for what is deemed misbehavior.  I have begged for someone to not strike a child in anger and frustration.  But at times, I will admit, it was not with humility that I begged for those things.  My bad.  I get angry at people who abuse those smaller and weaker and with no voice.  So I do beg, but then I am ready to stop what is going on if it does not stop with my begging.  Yes, begging occurs all the time and sometimes, when we realize we are begging, we stop.  We feel degraded by the very act.  It does not always get charity or kindness as a response.  In fact, it has been by experience that it rarely accomplishes anything.  Enough of that definition and my truth.

The definition of beg that I find most entertaining and enlightening is the one of “to use an argument that assumes as proved the very thing one is trying to prove i.e. to evade the issue”  I first learned about this in college when a particularly astute and hilarious professor would allow students to argue with him over a grade given on an extensive paper (at least 20 pages, if not more) and then simply state, “This really begs the question you realize.”  Duh!  From that point on, there was nothing to say.  Then he would let his mouth ever so slightly smile, while the student (I tried once and once only to argue with him) squirms and realizes she/he has just been knocked out of the ring in this particular fight.  If one was lucky, they were allowed to mumble, “Yessir,” and walk away, humbly.  Some of us were not so lucky.  He would ask for the graded paper, and page by page, we would have to respond to his question of how what was written applied in whatever way it was supposed to to the main thesis.  It was a wonderful lesson in honesty, integrity in writing, and knowing what you really knew and didn't know.  AND it was one of the most humbling experiences you could ever have as ignorance (we students) met knowledge (our wise and learned professor).

I loved that professor and feared him—above all the others I took classes from.  I never wanted to hear—this begs the question come out of his mouth in response to what I had submitted.  The one time he said it to me, I truly begged, pled, entreated humbly for mercy, pleading ignorance.  And he was merciful as he smiled, handed the paper back and said, “Rewrite, by next class session.”  I had tried to BS my way through and wound up doing the best paper I ever re-wrote because I begged sincerely and was shown mercy.  

Beg.  Ask humbly;entreat.  I would add the word—sincerely.  That is the definition and my truth.