Ever wish you could have your own personal editor?
I’m not talking to just the writers in the group. I’m talking to everyone.
Over the holidays, I received some additional revision requests back from my editor thanks to an astute proof reader who caught a critical inconsistency in the story.
The catch got me to thinking about how we say things, knowing what we mean, but not really realizing that others won’t interpret what we say the way we mean it.
Ever had that happen?
My poor, dear husband fell victim to that folly over the holidays when I asked him how he liked “his” taste in clothes. (I’d bought myself a top and sweater “from him” for Christmas and was fashioning them for him.) Now, men would argue that there’s no safe answer to such a question, but I beg to differ. At least…some answers are waaaaay better than others.
“It’s okay” is a lousy answer.
“Wow! I have awesome taste. Of course, anything I pick would look amazing on you…” would be a fabulous answer.
But I digress. 🙄
Now, what was my point? Oh, yes, if my husband…um, I mean if we had our own personal editor to evaluate what we said, before the words passed our lips, we’d miss making all kinds of silly blunders, and some serious ones, too.
Your Turn: Ever say something you wish you could take back or edit? Care to share? 😉
Image courtesy of Phaitoon at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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Ha! Yes. Sometimes it’s not even WHAT you say but HOW you say it!
Oh, yes, and how they “think” you’re saying it, when it’s in an email and the recipient can’t “see” the teasing smile, or whatever, on your face as you type. 🙂
I have Jesus inside me, trying HIs best to edit my thoughts before they fly out my mouth. But alas, I don’t always listen for His directions, or I’d not need a shoehorn in my mouth so often!
LOL, Jeanette. I love your way with words. 🙂 And so true, we have the best editor living inside us if only we’d shut up and listen.
First, I love the new look to your blog!
Now, I always seem to say things I regret…which means most of the time I’m pretty quiet to avoid that (except at conferences. Then I blibber blabber. lol).
I can’t give any examples because I block out my faux pas. 🙂
Love it, Jessica. And so pleased you like the new look. 🙂 I tend to be pretty quiet in person…except with other writers, too. Gotta learn to be that way in emails!
The “how” you say it is often huge and sadly I fall into that trap without even meaning to at times. I get too distracted and am onto thinking of something else while I’m spitting out my previous thought and the two get muddled and my foot goes right into the “how” of saying what was truly meant as a compliment but because of messed up inflection comes out totally wrong. Luck for me, my family knows I’m a lost cause. 🙂
Understanding families are the best! 😀 Great to see you here, Eileen!
Love this post, Sandra. I wish there was an edit button on me like on the fb comments. I’ve said many things over my lifetime that I wish I could edit or revise!
There’s an edit button on FB comments?! Yippee 🙂