YOU CAN'T BLAME A GIRL FOR TRYING

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "A DOOR IS NOT A DOOR ....WHEN IT'S AJAR": 

23:07
You keep losing your "tussle" with punctuation. Right? 

Posted by Anonymous to  Our Town and Its Business at 12 April 2016 at 23:37

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Right. I lost confidence fifty years ago and never recovered. 

I  wrested the opportunity to write a weekly column and learned by doing. 

 English grammar rules did not always apply in newspaper writing. The objective being less to impress and more to hold the reader until the thought was complete.

The column was hand-written. Re-writes were endless. I bought an old upright typewriter. Typing was hunt and peck. Eventually I upgraded to an electric machine and picked up  a little speed but accuracy,not so much.   Most  time was spent spent correcting  typing errors. 

I had much to learn but i was eager. No doubt a source of exasperation to the editor. 

Abundant use of commas was a particular problem.  

I  wondered if it had something to do with Scottish cadence. Did my pauses come at different intervals? The overwhelming need was brevity. The problems were almost overwhelming . bUt not quite. I lost my confidence but never my need to write . 

A computer keyboard helped not at all. Shifting to an iPad added to my feelings of inadequacy. Finally I forced myself to be comfortable with my  shortcomings. I happily tap-chat the blog. It's  a good thing because the frecking computer has a mind of it's own. It frequently changes a word because it thinks it knows better. 

Periods and commas  interchange with no help from me. Capitals and periods appear where they are neither appropriate nor intended. 

A person could easily be convinced the  iPad is possessed of a mischievous spirit and there's

only  room for one . 

Fortunately, readers  seem willing to overlook my peccadilloes and erratic punctuation and make allowances. Otherwise why would they visit? 

Comments present a problem at times.  Criticism may be over- the -line personal. 

The objective is to exchange ideas not insults. I try to sort out the difference. Sometimes  I don't succeed and I need  a second opinion.

In all things, I just keep trying.