When you think about it, the fact that anything ever gets written is amazing. And that things get written correctly...well, that's a miracle.
And it happens every day...
And it also doesn't happen every day.
I have problems completing a written message from time to time. I'm doing better--I suppose practice can help to make things perfect. I used to make more mistakes as I wrote a daily blog post and wrote in my daily journal (the journal has so many errors, spelling, grammatical, penmanship--you name it...). I believe I'm improving, at least in the digital form. How do I know this? My wife has said to me, "Honey, you have a typo." after she accesses my blog post less and less lately.
But, then again, writing is like driving...you look away for only a moment and then--bam!
Disaster.
With millions of people writing and posting millions of things every day, it only follows that there will be millions of mistakes out there. The one I spotted tonight on Twitter is a classic. Let's help out CNN, shall we? What adjustments can be made to their little information nugget to help them avoid accusing beloved actor Paul Newman of arson or insurance fraud?
"Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out at a summer camp started by the late actor Paul Newman for seriously ill children and their families."
Maybe re-arranging things might help.
"A fire at a summer camp started by the late actor Paul Newman for seriously ill children and their families is under investigation by authorities."
No, the same conclusion could be drawn. I think the only way to fix it, is to add a comma and a few words.
"Authorities are investigating a fire that broke out at a summer camp, a camp started by the late actor Paul Newman for seriously ill children and their families."
I suppose that works. I've read through it a few times and I don't see a Twitter response similar to that of T. Allen Horne.
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