My To Sent Rant

Maybe it is just me, but there is an increasing irony in this day and age of compounding ways we communicate. Actually, it may not be increasing but with the vastly increasing ways we communicate it may be that an already embarrassing situation is being exposed. What I am I about to rant about? I don't know if there is a technical term for it but it does seem there is a deplorable case of poor written grammar of crisis magnitude.

This may have always been the case with the great unwashed. But with all of the Twitter, FaceBook, blogging, etc., etc. going on, people who fancy themselves communicators (they used to be pastors, speakers or professionals in some sense) expose their awful grasp of grammar. An example? OK.

Just yesterday I spotted a sporty, good looking communicator posting on FB. He's got the style, he's got the dash, he is important and in demand. However, he should not be doing his own status updates. He was informing all that, "I am on my way across country sitting next to my daughter on the plain." Really?

Oh, I know, don't get my panties in a bunch. I could let something like that go, but especially for those whom people must trust and put confidence in and esteem as competent, this sort of thing is embarrassing like an open fly with a shirt tail hanging out in front of a crowd.

There are too many examples to list, but some of the more common and pervasive grammar errors are as follows. In number one place is the use of "your" in place of "you're". Did everyone fall asleep in class the day they covered contractions? In number two place is the use of "there" instead of "their." Possessive pronouns must be suffering an identity crisis. In number three place is the use of "here" for "hear" or vice versa. Please. This was humorous back in the day, now it's just the norm. You might as well have a blacked out tooth and a cowlick to enhance your perception of competence.

The saving grace in all this? Most people don't even notice. Since the problem is so widespread it isn't even noticed as a problem. If you ever mention the awkward correction to an offender, most of the time I have found, they don't even care. They are so pragmatic that to them if it sounds the same, it is the same.

I enjoy bits of history and sometimes read a handwritten letter that thanks to the internet and PDF files, you can see the actual document on screen. In most of the documents from the early days of our country, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, the handwriting would pass for calligraphy today. Not only are the words beautiful in form, but the content is articulate and eloquent as well. I would think most people today would think our forefathers were a bunch of hayseeds but that label certainly applies to us. Just read the preamble of the Constitution of the United States. Tell me, who can keep pace with such language as high art?

I suppose I shouldn't be so hard on everyone. My downfall is punctuation. At least most bad grammar offenders spell the wrong word correctly most of the time. That may be more attributable to spell check than competence, but we'll score one on the positive side so you don't think I am just a grouch.

So, I can't wait to ride on a plain at knight, feeling the piece of God while hereing worship music on my iPod waiting to get their. Thanks for reading my rant, I think your awesome.