March 11, 2007
Here I go again
about typos. Sue me, all right? I’m a journalist even if I never went to school for it. But maybe that’s why it gets my goat so much, you know what I’m saying here, people? If Chelle LaFleur can find a way to spell right, so can you.
Yes, it’s that simple. No, don’t you dare come whining to me about how busy you are and how something like spelling shouldn’t matter. It does and it should. If I can hustle to make my own bills and still take the time to spell right, so can you.
Besides, we live in a world that’s more and more about our computer screens. We don’t see faces no more; we see pictures and while y’all might have some pretty darn interesting body parts, that’s something else you gotta consider.
Here’s the deal: The Trumpet here is looking to hire some freelance writers, now that they’ve gone and put me on staff full-time with a salary and everything. We all know they did this so I’ll stop writing for every news outfit in town and so they can keep me for themselves, but that ain’t the issue, here. What it’s all about are these applications we’ve been gettin’ in at the office.
“I wanna be a righter.”
I kid you not, that’s what one application said. You wanna be a lefter, too? You wanna get an interview? Work with real people and not monkeys or your greased-up right hand? Learn how to spell.
One kid came into the reception area wearing a dirty red hoodie, pulled up and looking like it hadn’t been washed in a year or two. Alls we could see was his nose, and that didn’t look too clean, neither. I kid you not. And this small voice comes out, “I can write music reviews.”
Well, people, lookie here. That’s Chelle’s job. No one said nothing about writing music reviews.
Look. I meet folk like you daily. You all wanna have a glamour job like ole Chelle’s. But to get where I am, and to get to the point where you can write a column like I do and use slang like I do — but you’ll notice it’s all spelled right slang — you gotta impress. You gotta make people believe that you can do the job from the first second they lay eyes on you.
You can’t do that if you can’t spell. Take two seconds and look up those words in the dictionary. You just might learn something along the way, and learnin’s always a good thing. Use that word you just learned and make someone think you’re smart.
I remember a day when being smart was sexy. Well, in this corner of the world, that hasn’t changed. Smart is sexy. Good spelling is hotter than hot. And being professional from the get-go is what’ll get you where Chelle is.
You heard it first and you heard it here. You may not get to where ole Chelle is, but if not, it’s only you that’s holding you back.
Dana
March 11, 2007 6:28 pm
Spelling errors are a big thing wih me. I notice them right away on all posts. Chelle sounds like my type of gal
Anonymous
March 11, 2007 6:56 pm
Haha! What an application. Thanks for the laugh.BR/BR/JM Fiction Scribe
Denise
March 11, 2007 7:23 pm
Yes, I came to tell you thanks for the laugh too!BR/BR/I awespire to be a great righter some day!BR/BR/Denise
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 11, 2007 7:25 pm
Awespire… that rocks, Denise!
crowwoman / rhian
March 11, 2007 8:37 pm
“I wanna be a righter.” BWWWAAAHAHAHAAAAA! That was damn funny Susan. I’m not the best speller in the world but I try to be conscientious while typing. I do flub alot though while blogging as my fingers refuse to keep up with my brain. Click publish and then “AWWWWWWW, dang it!” I look illiterate. I r righter two.
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 11, 2007 9:25 pm
Rhiann, I haven’t noticed any typos; you must be quick on the edit button! (as am I, to be honest)
Wylie Kinson
March 11, 2007 11:27 pm
I do enjoy proper spelling — and try to be diligent with my own comments/posts, etc…BR/But I used to work in a school and let me tell you – I was shocked, SHOCKED by the deplorable spelling that came from our teachers! The principal was the worst!! BR/I’d like to think it was just carelessness — the hastily written note or message — but what does that say about the education of our children?! BR/And I really should mention that the school in question was a very prominent private school!
Skittles
March 12, 2007 6:55 am
My lovely FireFox browser comes equipped with a spell checker.. but I was always good with spelling.BR/BR/A righter? Hahaha
cheesygiraffe
March 12, 2007 9:22 am
Spelling is one thing I make sure both my boys know how to do well. Another thing is having them properly conjugate verbs. I hate hearing bestest and fighted. There are some seemingly smart people out there that talk like this. Ugh!
karen!
March 12, 2007 11:14 am
I love to see Chelle.BR/Though I do have to admit that occasionally typos and misspellings make their way into my work… * blush *
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 12, 2007 11:17 am
Well, we ALL make typos. The question is whether or not we fix them before letting them be seen by people we’re trying to impress.BR/BR/The explanation behind Chelle’s rant will be posted today or tomorrow, so stay tuned.
scooper
March 12, 2007 1:54 pm
I spell big words better than small words and like Skittles, have spell checker with firefox. It would be pretty ugly otherwise.
NAncy
March 12, 2007 1:58 pm
This was good. My son would probably say “righter.” He CANNOT spell! His brain does weird things. He is getting better and now he at least knows it looks wrong. I blame his second grade teacher. Seriously. As my oldest kid getting 100’s on the spelling test, I thought he was fine. Get to third grade and he is clueless on how to use words. Anyway, the kid can write an excellant paper and really get his ideas across to everyone. He just needs me to go through it w. my red pen and circle all the spelling errors.BR/BR/I think this was way more than you wanted to know. LOL!
littlebirdblue
March 12, 2007 6:12 pm
Funny, Scary Monster had a literacy post today, too. Must be something in the air.
Amy Ruttan
March 12, 2007 6:50 pm
I one time wrote on my friend’s card that “you are great fried.” I’m not cannibalistic in nature, but hey that’s what it sounded like.BR/BR/Of course I use the excuse I was drunk at the time.
Claire
March 12, 2007 7:06 pm
i neva spel fings rong.
Susan Helene Gottfried
March 12, 2007 7:47 pm
Claire, you slay me! BR/BR/Amy, that would actually work if you said it to me, you know… after all, I’m a GottFRIED. *wink*