Maybe it's just me.

Perhaps it's because social media is just that, "social", that I found myself cringing this morning while reading Facebook updates. You all know how much I love language and the turn of a phrase. I also consider myself to be an above average speller. There is absolutely no way I could spell half of the words asked of the National Spelling Bee contestants even though I do know what at least three quarters of them mean.

The basic premise behind Facebook, a means to keep in touch with people, encourages the reduction of a life to a few phrases. I can do that, but I can't do it with the truncated language that seems to be in use.

I remember the "write how you talk" movement and I shudder. Good communication is vital. I get incredibly frustrated if you cannot tell me what I need to know. You get frustrated when I can't adequately explain what I need to know to you so you can reciprocate with the information I seek.

And, let's face it, spelling is not the most fun subject to learn or teach. Hand a student a list of words and tell them they have to memorize this list and be able to parrot it back on Friday. I remember those lists both in my grade school life and in Carole's life. Who decides what's on the list? I remember them being tied to whatever they were reading; desk, chair, school, street, etc. I'm sure there is a guideline learned in college teaching courses about how many syllables a word should be for a first grader to learn it.

I'm trying, as I read the posts and updates, to be charitable and assume the writer doesn't like to spell and struggles with reading and is not just lazy or sloppy. "Rediculous". I know it sounds as if it should be spelled this way, but it's not. And I actually complained to a friend about a post where the writer, a college educated woman, said the initial post was "interesting and full of incite". ARG! Perhaps I should "incite" people to use more "insight" into their posts?

I do hear-by give you permission to correct, in the comments, the spelling errors I may make in this blog. I edit myself, oh do I edit myself, but I can read something as correct even when it is not. Plus, I am not above learning. If I cease to learn, I cease to live. That is another post.

I'm going to Panera for lunch today. I need a chocolate croissant to settle my nerves.

Beverage: English Breakfast tea

Deb