Unifon

Traditional spelling

I supOz Du fcst tIm wE ekspirEunst Du suspenKun uv disbilEf wuz wen wE fInuly trustud Dat qr muDc wuz gQiN tU fEd us - wiDqt us krIiN qr heds xf. lAtc wE submitud tU skUliN bikoz wE wc tOld - bI qr trustud eldcz - Dat sumdA wE kCd Uz wot wE lcnd.

wiTqt Du suspenKun uv disbilEf wE kCd not hav rilijun; kCd not enjQ u bCk uv fikSun, kCd not trust u bCk uv fakt. I spent yirz studEiN nU Aj bilEfs. hundreds uv dolcz uv bCks or xn mI Selvz az u testumunt tU mI depT uv intcust. I hav sins disIdud I wuz in pursUt uv Du wel nOn wIld gUs. uDcz wil disugrE. I dU not rigret haviN KAst Du wIld gUs. it pruvIdud mE wiT untOld qrz uv intcustiN rEdiN; trips tU fasunAtiN konfcunsuz; DE ukwAntuns uv menE wundcful pEpul. I wCd nq bE unwelkum in Der midst, bikoz I wCd - bI mI prezuns - bE u disrupSun, u Kalunj, u kritik.

hU kan bilEv u nU alfubet kan suplant wun Dat iz senKcEz Old? yet I rimembc rEdiN ubqt u siNul KInumun hU wuz risponsubul for pruvIdiN DE ubilutE tu rEd tu Du milyunz uv pxr unejukAtud KInEz in his kuntrE. not OnlE in hiz dA, but fxr senKcEz tU kum. let us suspend disbilEf wun mxr tIm. mAbE wE kan fInd qr On "wIz KInumun".

I suppose the first time we experienced the suspension of disbelief was when we finally trusted that our mother was going to feed us - without us crying our heads off. Later we submitted to schooling because we were told - by our trusted elders - that "someday" we could use what we learned.

Without the suspension of disbelief we could not have religion: could not enjoy a book of fiction; could not trust a book of fact. I spent years studying New Age beliefs. Hundreds of dollars worth of books are on my shelves as a testament to my depth of interest. I have since decided I was in pursuit of the well known wild goose. Others will disagree. I do not regret having chased the wild goose. It provided me with untold hours of interseting reading; trips to fascinating conferences; the aquaintance of many wonderful people. I would now be unwelcome in thier midst, because I would - by my presence - be a disruption, a challenge, a critic.

Who can believe a new alphabet can supplant one that is centuries old? Yet I remember reading about a single Chinaman who was responsible for providing the ability to read to the millions of poor uneducated Chinese in his country. Not only in his day, but for centuries to come. Let us suspend disbelief one more time. Maybe we can find our own wise "Chinaman".

Unifon

Traditional spelling

frum Du bOk, "siNc in Du SadOz":
Du strAnj stxrE uv pASuns wurT, bI irviN litvag.
kopErIt 1972 bI irviN litvag.

in rifciN tu Du strAnj laNwej stIl bEiN prudUst wiT Du Ys uv a wEjE bxrd - irviN litvag rIts;

"I wCd stroNlE sugjest Dat Y dU not giv up xn it tU kwiklE. dU not kop qt bI just skimiN Ovc DOz verbul stumbliN bloks in an efct tU pas xn tU sumTiN mEtEc. fxr in tIm, if Y pcsuvir, Y wil pcsEv u patcn, u kunsistunsE uv riDum and frAziN, Y wil undcstand at u glans Du mEniNz uv unUZYul wcdz witK at furst OnlE puzuld and irutAtud Y."

I red muK muticEul bI pASuns wurT and I kan utest tU Du trUT uv DE ubuv stAtmunt - at lEst fxr mE. I bilEv Dat Tu sAm ekspicEuns wil bE had bI DOz hU or lukE inuf tu bE pruvIdud sufiSunt akses tU kwolutE rEdiN muticEul - prudUst, YziN wun xr mxr uv DE oltcnutiv alfubets.

wIl I dU not bilEv in kumYnukAtiN wiT Du ded, I kqnt Du muticEul prudUst bI pAsuns wurT, az sum uv mI fAvcut rEdiN. I TiNk Ynifon xr sum uDc simulc sistum haz Du pOtenKul tU Opun up nU wcldz tU menE hU wCdunt uDcwIz boDc wiT lIbrerEz and bCks, but wCd bizE Demselvz wiT uDc aktivutEz. Dat mA bE wel - az wE nEd xl (olmOst) kIndz uv pEpul - but Im glad Im not wun of Dem.

From the book , "Singer in the Shadows" : The strange story of Patience Worth,
by Irving Litvag.
Copywrite 1972 by Irving Litvag.

.

In referring to the strange language style being produced with the use of a Oiga Board - Irving Litvag writes;

"I would strongly suggest that you do not give up on it too quickly. Do not cop out by just skimming over those verbal stumbling blocks in an efffort to pass on to something meatier. For in time, if you persevere, you will perceive a pattern, a consistency of rhythm and phrasing; you will understand at a glance the meanings of unusual words which at first only puzzled and irritated you."

I read much material by Patience Worth and I can attest to the truth of the above statement - at least for me. I believe that the same experience will be had by those who are lucky enough to be provided sufficient access to quality reading material - produced , using one or more of the alternative alphabets.

While I do not believe in communication with the dead, I count the material produced by Patience Worth, as some of my favorite reading. I think Unifon or some other similar system has the potential to open up new worlds to many who wouldn't otherwise bother with libraries and books, but would busy themselves with other activities. That may be well - as we need all (allmost) kinds of people -but I'm glad I'm not one of them.