Strunk N White

The way we speak, write, or express ourselves is a large part of who we are and how we are perceived by the world around us. Accents, nuances, physical expressions, and mannerisms are all things that distinguish us as individuals for good or bad. How we write a resume could be the difference between a future career or not. As I read 'The Elements of Style' I was impressed at how many of the lessons are things that I personally err with. Something as simple as a comma can mean the difference between "Let's eat Grandpa!" and "Let's eat, Grandpa", which give very different messages to the world. In our age of tweeting and texting, I find that we have lost a respect for the use of the English language that would put us in quite a barbaric state in the wrong setting. As we write without eloquence, with our grammar strewn madly about the sentence, a certain negative impression is given to the world. In just the same way as stereotypes are given to those who may have the less than desirable proverbial "burger-flipping" job, a poor text can leave the reader with an undesirable impression of the writer. Just as the way we speak sends a message about who we are to the world, the way we write sends an equally powerful message in this digital age.

With such a predicament at our hands, what can we do to remedy the situation? How can we save our progeny from poor writing? It is something that I have pondered as I read through the book, "how can we influence the world to be better". We have such excellent reference material at our finger tips in this technological age, yet the epidemic rages on. While this post will end with these questions unsanswered, I believe that there is still something that we can do as individuals. If we all make an effort to do what we can to perfect the writing of ourselves and our posterity, there will be lasting positive effects.