Wanted: Pretty Words

Delia, you are right. Language matters.

If someone invites you to their house for dinner, you expect them to wipe off the table, sweep the floor, and at least *hide* the little messes of living. They clean up, make their place suitable for company. For me, it’s the same with the written word. When nobody is around, or when its just your closet friends, its OK to be a bit messy. Spell things wrong, forget to capitalize... NBG. But when you’re sending your words out into the world, you want to tidy them up. Wipe their faces...make sure they don’t have any stains. You only get one chance to make a good first impression.