An Apology...of Sorts

Over the years a number of readers have felt obliged to inform me of typos or grammatical and other errors that have made their way into my posts. It had been a while since I’d received one of these reports — not because I’ve made fewer errors, but because these readers have likely tired of telling me about them and receiving no response. 

Recently, though, I've received emails from two (count 'em...two) new readers who have pointed out that my posts sometimes include typos or other errors. This apparently upsets them. I can appreciate their concern and when I spot an error or typo I now try to correct it after the fact. Of course, this rarely happens since I almost never re-read my posts once they're posted. I'm also a very bad proof-reader because I find it too difficult to read every word -- all thanks to a speed-reading course I took in graduate school in 1971.

I also suspect that those who complain suffer from a mild case of OCD and just can't stand the presence of any kind of error, no matter how slight. One recent complainant actually mentioned the absence of a possessive apostrophe, the only error she spotted in a rather long post. I may be too forgiving, but it seems to me such an error hardly merits mention so long as the sentence remains understandable. But then, I’m a bit loosey-goosey when it comes to my writing. I tend to write quickly and rarely return to make corrections or improvements. This haphazard approach is probably evident to most readers. I’m certain the late Sister Francis Jane, O.P., my eighth-grade teacher, would not be pleased with me. Convinced that God had created a well-ordered cosmos, she was a stickler for the the properly constructed sentence. 

Anyway, to those who are bothered by the occasional typo, my apologies. I hope you can overlook these minor failings. At least I'm not a tattoo artist.

I will try to do better in the future, but can promise nothing. And please, feel free to let me know of any bothersome errors and I will promise to correct them forthwith. 

 

I'll use this post as a test .

God's Peace...