Grammar Abuse

I’m well aware that I’m an abuser of certain forms of punctuation, especially hyphens, ellipses, and parentheses, not to mention putting periods in the wrong place relative to quotation marks and parentheses. I’ve also been known to put paragraph breaks in places that would make English teachers cringe. 

While some of it is because I simply haven’t been able to remember all the rules, there’s also an element that’s entirely deliberate. Written language, just like the verbal variety, has a voice. If I write with perfect grammar and then read what I wrote, it feels like I’ve removed part of my voice. I don’t like that.

Following the rules helps us fit in, and yes, some rules are necessary for an orderly society. However, if you work too hard to fit in, how are you ever going to stand out or find your people (you know, the ones who get you and who you feel truly comfortable and safe with) in this noisy, overcrowded world?

Keep moving forward,

-Steve

P.S. I have adopted the Oxford comma and stopped putting two spaces after a period. Why? They’re improvements that don’t come at the cost of my voice. Took longer than I thought to make the changes, though – the indoctrination from a year of high school typing class was apparently quite strong.