Words Matter

There is a Buddhist saying that goes, "Words have the power to both destroy and heal. When words are both true and kind, they can change the world." I have been thinking about words lately and trying to choose the ones I use with more care and consideration. You really can say the same things many different ways. How you say it matters. Perhaps I'll write more about that later.

Today's topic is more about grammar and punctuation, especially the (im)proper use of apostrophes. I fear that the finer points of our written language are getting lost and destroyed through misuse, ignorance and the digital age. When I see "its" vs "it's" used correctly, I rejoice.

There was cause for celebration tonight at the frozen yogurt shop I went to. The description on one of the placards said something like, "It's a perfect combination of blah and blah. Its smooth flavor will delight you." Something like that. Scattered throughout the store were little signs inviting the customer to text the owner if they were pleased with the store's appearance. I appreciated the place,net of the apostrophes, so I sent a text as invited, "Thank you for excellent grammar and punctuation on your signs!"

A few minutes later I received this response: "Your welcome! Have a nice weekend!"

#facepalm

Clearly the owner/manager is not responsible for the lovely description.