We All Can’t Be Perfect
OK, I am a
terrible person. I just went on a
mini-rant in a comment to a very nice blog-lady friend who committed the crime
of correcting my spelling. This is a pet
peeve of mine, and yes, I spelled it “peave” in my rant just to play with her…once
again I apologize.
However
Why is it
that people have to demonstrate their superiority in certain areas?
Look, I am a
horrible speller. I have posted on this
several times. I was punished in school
for years on every paper I ever submitted.
Big red letters:
GOOD CONTENT…WELL WRITTEN…3
spelling errors, 15 points off…B-
I can write
a 500-word post today in about twenty minutes thanks to spell check. Years ago, I would have spent an hour or more
checking the spelling of every word I was unsure about. Most were spelled correctly, but I still missed
a few that I did not check as I was sure I spelled them correctly.
When I see
someone with a bad leg, I don’t tell them they walk funny. If I see someone who is really fat, I don’t
tell them they are really fat. If I see
someone who has a bad complexion I don’t point it out to them. It is rude and unproductive.
My spelling
is terrible. Pointing it out may make
you feel good and superior or whatever, but it is a little rude. Bad spelling is not always a result of
laziness or stupidity, any more than accurate spelling is a result of
intelligence or diligence.
Maybe I am a
bad speller because I am so damn smart.
I see a word
and instantly recognize its meaning. I don’t have to see every letter of a word, or
sound it out, or analyze it, I know the word and it’s meaning without seeing or
caring about every letter. Maybe I
understand a thought or an idea without even reading every word. I am so damn smart I don’t have to read every
word much less the letter structure of every word. I don’t see misspelled words, I don't need to analyze every letter. I am so smart I don’t need to use all the
letters.
I am a poor speller because I just much
smarter than all of you compulsive spell checkers! Maybe.
OK, probably not.
OK, probably not.
Trust me
people, unless you are a teacher or an editor, there is no need to correct
someone every time they spell a word incorrectly.
There is no
need to tell a smoker that smoking is bad for them…they know.
There is no
need to tell a fat person they are fat…they know.
There is no
need to point out to a person with Tourette’s that they have tics…believe me, I
know.
And there is
no need to correct a person’s spelling every damn time they make a
mistake. We know, we have paid the price,
we hate it and we do try. It is not
laziness or stupidity it just is.
I am not
perfect, I am a poor speller. I
know. I have been a poor speller for 71 years, I am not likely to improve anytime soon. I also know that poor
spelling can stop some people in their reading tracks, sorry, that is your issue.
I love to
write. I might have even been good at it
if I was encouraged by teachers instead of being beaten down because spelling is so damn important. Too bad spell check came along so late.
OK, that is
my last rant on spelling.
I’ll get off
my high horse if you get off yours.
Omgosh. I totally get this and your description of seeing the words and automatically knowing the word and the meaning no matter if they were printed upside down! I suck at spelling and grammar but I figure that's why the college campuses have English students will to make a buck to proofread. I'm not looking to win any literary awards any time soon so whatevr.
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh the other day when in a restroom at a restaurant, there was a sign by the paper towel dispenser that said "please don't throw the papper into the toilet." I wouldn't correct anyone's spelling because I'm guilty of leaving typos since I don't go back and usually proofread my comments. I'm thankful for spell check because there are words like territory and veterinarian (both corrected via spell check) that I am never going to get right. I wonder if English teachers years ago would have been more kinder on their students if they knew spell check was going to be something in the future and grade more on content of what was written versus the number of misspellings.
ReplyDeletebetty
As a matter of fact, I was always top of the class for spelling. Do people who read books actually read every letter and every word? I know I get things wrong sometimes but it's not through ignorance about correct spellings - I blame age, elderly fingers, a fading mind, and a keyboard that thinks it knows it all. Nobody complains and I would never pull someone up about their spelling.
ReplyDeleteThis could have been written by me!!
DeleteI had to laff when I read this, ‘cause I figure with our blogs if I happen to notice a misspelled word, so what! They probably did one of several things I know I’ve done and may well do in the future — fat finger on a key, or be in a hurry so don’t take time to proof read among other things. There are some words that are prounced the same but have different meanings for each of their spellings. I know the difference, but for some reason when I’m focusing on what I’m saying, occasionally the wrong word will be spelled. Spell check doesn’t catch that, so if I don’t proof read, it’s glaringly wrong. That error has been pointed out to me in a round about way, but I just chuckle to myself as I figure that’s their (there) problem not mine — I know the difference and I know how I erred, so who cares in the scheme of life.
ReplyDeleteSome people can do calculus, some can't. Some people can instantly memorize faces and names, some can't. Some people can spell, some can't. We all have our spot where we shine, and our spot where we have trouble. There's no reason to judge others based on the spots where they have trouble.
ReplyDeleteIf i see a wrongly spelled word, i figure "typo" and move on.
I Totally agree that you are bad speller because you are "Damn Smart"
ReplyDeleteAnd i won't hesitate to say that it is great to find your place around which lightens my head each time i visit.
I am horrible speller too .and i agree that we don't have to point out such flaws .Although if there are positive things to tell never be miser (my opinion)
It's rude to correct people in this context (blogging). However, if the person making the error is a professional (let's say, an Englsh teacher) then I reserve the right to make fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that's rather petty. When I write for blog purposes I write as if I was just talking, using not-real words like "gonna" and "betcha". I know better than to put them into a formal presentation, but for conversational purposes they work just fine. It's the message that's important, and your messages come across loud and clear.
ReplyDeleteAbility in spelling has very little to do with intelligence one way or the other. I believe there is actual research on that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I am a very poor speller so I may have made that up entirely.
True. I'm a good speller, but I'm not smart.
DeleteDon't believe it, she's plenty smart!
DeleteWhen I first started having trouble with my memory, I made a spelling mistake and one of my 'followers' made a big deal out of it. I was hurt, and shocked! For the life of me, I couldn't remember how it WAS spelled! Since then, I know I have made errors either spelling or missing letters. (ie, he instead of her) because of my stiff hands and lousy typing skills. Now, I just say to heck with it, if I see the mistake after I have pushed send.
ReplyDeleteI am generally pretty good with the spelling thing. It's not one of my many, many problems.
ReplyDeleteHowever, so far as I'm concerned, the purpose of writing is to communicate an idea. If that idea gets communicated, then mission accomplished. Getting an idea across is tough, but so long as someone is doing that well, then I would't even notice the spelling.
It's not a research paper.
I really feel sorry for the grammar police. How frustrating it must be for them to peruse each word looking for spelling errors or bad punctuation only to feel the frustration and need to red pencil the post. They really never get to enjoy the content. Relax joeh, we relaxed sorts will live longer and happier.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't on my high horse to start with...however, I AM perfect....perfectly imperfect just the way human beings are supposed to be.
ReplyDeleteI have always been a decent speller but really think I am getting worse due to spell check...yes I'll admit spell check is my friend.
ReplyDeleteIt's OK Joe bad spelling or not we all love reading your rants.
I do try hard not to correct people. I dislike spell check, it prefers American spelling and I grew up with English.
ReplyDeleteI never correct anyone's spelling or grammar because I think it rude and because I'm a dreadful speller myself. Were it not for spellcheck I'd spell grammar G_R_A_M_M_E_R.
ReplyDeletePlease, you know there is only one M in gramer.
DeleteSpelling has always come easy for me, but I write so much and so fast that I miss things. Proofreading is boring (heh, heh, that just came out "bornign" but I figured I'd better fix it) and I'm not as thorough as I should be. I know I let mistakes get past me. I'd never correct anyone on their blog or comments. I know what they mean.
ReplyDeleteI have a cousin who is dyslexic and so her spelling is not very good. People have commented on it and then they feel like a real jerk when she tells them the reason. Unless someone asks me to proof something I leave it be.
ReplyDeleteTruth be told, you are not a horrible speller. It is the spelling nazis (sorry for the politically incorrect reference. OK, not sorry) who have it all wrong. Englich is and has been a living language, meaning it morphs and sways to the time and the place. Or at least it did, until shortly after the American revolution when Americans and British were having pissing matches (sorry for the crudity) over cultures and properness (Made that up. See there?). Even today we add new words and alter some spellings (though rarer) every now and then. Yet the nazis linger, making life miserable for us creative types until the dictionary catches up! ;-)
ReplyDeleteRead a synopsis here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/65791/grammar-battle-followed-american-revolution
Thanks for the support! I wish I was a better speller though.
DeleteIf you publish a book as a famous author, you should have a proofreader or editor check your spelling. If you are making a big sign or poster, someone should check after you. If you send out your resume, have someone look it over. If you send out professional reports, have an admin proofread it (that's what I do for a living).
ReplyDeleteIf you write casual letters, quick emails to friends and family, or a blog - meh. We can overlook spelling errors.