JudoWolf.com

The older man pulled the lever on his recliner and the footrest swung up – taking the newspaper off his lap; he opened it, and read the headline: “Man Runs into Burning Building Saves Mother and Daughter’s Lives.” A passer-by entered a burning building rescued a mother and her baby and was deemed a hero for saving their lives. Finishing the article, he wondered how much the headline would change by substituting prolong for save. The headline would then read: “Man Runs into Burning Building Prolonging Mother and Daughters Lives.” Stop and think about this for a moment: any action taken by another, which extends a person’s life, is deemed saving not prolonging. Saving is putting something away for later use; pennies, stamps, coupons, special birthday or anniversary cards, photographs, and heirlooms. Prolonging is extending a magazine subscription, an overtime-sporting event, or a warrantee – but not people’s lives. The word save, brings a warm fuzzy feeling inside, while the word prolong is perceived as cold and impersonal. Ironic, the word save in the context of a fire story is used correctly, but the emphasis is not placed on the danger (fire), instead on the prolonging of the human lives. The headline should read, “Man Saves Mother and Child from Fire, Prolonging Their Lives.”

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