Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Conversations

 
 
Abbie and Zac  are getting ready to move.
Their house has been a project for months.
This weekend it is finally time to move the boxes.
There has been many hours of dry walling, painting, and cleaning.
We are in the final stretch.
I swear we would think okay, the painting is done.
We would go home and return to see someone had gone crazy
with painter's caulk and we needed to touch up once again.
The floors have been the same story.
Clean them.
Leave.
Come back to find paint splatters on the wood.
Assume the position of hands and knees, then scrub.
The work has led to many conversations.
Most are truly ridiculous.
Yesterday Abbie and I were painting the back porch.
We were discussing how people use the wrong words.
She said she cringes when she hears people say
"for all intensive purposes" instead of "intents and purposes".
I said mine is the confusion with taut and taunt and
people incorrectly using loose and lose.
Taut means tight.
Taunt means to tease.
You lose weight so your pants are loose.
Then we both admitted we do it.
We use the wrong words.
But we both said that we are dumber.
Trust me, she is not even dumb.
She is young and she is a doctor.
I am neither.
Dumber happens.
Use it or lose it?
Nah, I think it is aging that does it.
I also think it is all the texting and emailing.
When I stopped hand writing, I got sloppy.
Oh yeah, and of course I believe Dead Estrogen is the main culprit.
Abbie said that after having Cliff, she is more apt to mix up words.
She told me she read that each time a woman gives birth,
her intelligence diminishes.
I said, "Man, that  Duggar woman must be a complete idiot by now."
(FYI Michelle Duggar is on the TLC show
19 kids and Counting. They are all biological children.
I suspect her brain is not all that has suffered.)
However, the truth is
 I don't really care about your spelling, your punctuation, or your grammar.
If you say "she hasn't any shoes",
or "she doesn't have shoes";
or "she ain't got no shoes"
I can't care.
What I care about is if she is shoe-less,
that you are concerned about that fact.
I don't really worry about our use of the English language.
I care about the condition of our hearts.
You can say it any way you want.
Just say it with love.
Put down those imaginary red pens
and go help someone who needs it.
Give a smile, a hug, or a dollar or two.
Be kind.
Love one another.
It madders matters.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


13 Comments:

At August 14, 2013 at 4:22 AM , Blogger Rebecca said...

What a nice sediment. Wish I could get over my "red-pencil syndrome". Things still bother me.

P.S. I know it should be sentiment.
P.S.S. I have a blog post in the works (sitting in my "draft" department. It's still brewing...but what got it started was a person who posted on a facebook garage sale page that she had an eight-week-old and was currently on "maturity leave"! Now, I'm sure she was referring to MATERNITY leave. SURELY?!?!?

Now don't steal my thunder! I really AM going to get that post written.

 
At August 14, 2013 at 6:03 AM , Blogger Mary said...

i just love you.

i was just correctly elly yesterday for posting things on IG that weren't spelled/used correctly...i'm her teacher, so that hurts my pride, ya know?!?

xo

 
At August 14, 2013 at 6:37 AM , Blogger Joy said...

Dang it! Mary said exactly what I was going to say in her first sentence!

I am saying it anyway!

I just love you.

Bam!

Seriously, people get so caught up on words. Action speaks so much louder.

xxoo

 
At August 14, 2013 at 1:52 PM , Blogger Susan said...

This is so incredibly awesome..... I'm sharing this with my bible study!

 
At August 14, 2013 at 5:20 PM , Blogger Jayne said...

This made me think of the time My sister-in-law was pregnant with her first child and was feeling large and in charge. Mother's Day came before her due date so her husband had flowers sent since he was out if town. When the flowers arrived she was pleased as punch and opened the card. Instead of writing "you are the best mother" the florist wrote "you are the beast mother!" Lol! Now that is just good dumb fun right there!

 
At August 15, 2013 at 10:34 AM , Blogger Sweet Tea said...

Kindness does madder.
I'm todally with you on this one.

 
At August 15, 2013 at 10:51 AM , Blogger SZM said...

This is absolutely fantastic Janie! Your (You're?---kidding!) best yet. I just love you. Can't wait to give you a hug for realz.

 
At August 16, 2013 at 1:04 PM , Blogger Jensamom23 said...

Indeed it does matter!

 
At August 19, 2013 at 10:45 AM , Blogger Reenie said...

I can't care either!! ;)

I can't wait to see pics of Abbie & Zas's house. I've been wondering how they were coming along with it.

 
At August 26, 2013 at 9:49 AM , Blogger Leslie @ Farm Fresh Fun said...

So true. So YOU! Eager for more pics and updates!
xoxo
Leslie

 
At September 10, 2013 at 7:06 PM , Blogger Mary said...

so....i'm back, because i love you and want to hang out, and realized that i used a word incorrectly in my above comment.


gahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

that is all.

xo :)

 
At October 13, 2013 at 3:19 AM , Blogger Rebecca said...

Well. Did you get them moved yet :)
Missing you SO much, Janie.

 
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