When you do a lot of writing sometimes you get sloppy. Sometimes when you’re very busy, things slip through that shouldn’t. And sometimes … well, sometimes you’re just dumb.
Seth Godin’s post Does language matter more? touches on how we can look pretty silly when we use the wrong words. And the post just below it, with it’s image, is a hilarious example of what can happen when we don't read what we've written to see what it actually means.
I’d be all primed to mock the people responsible for the sign except that this week I discovered how something as small as a single letter can make all the difference. I wrote a headline but obviously didn’t look at what I’d written or, if I did, the actual writing didn’t register. Anyway, my headline read:
"Gary pride parade may not leave Vancouver’s West End"
As someone pointed out to me, anyone in Vancouver named Gary may have been puzzled and even miffed. (“What? There’s a parade for me? Why didn't anyone tell me?â€)
Apparently I’m as much of a moron as the next guy. Ouch!
(On the other hand, my stupidity provided me with one of the better laughs I've had recently.)
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