For the Grahmer police

I once knew an English professor who taught English and vocabulary at a university in California. The professor once told me that he taught his students to feel free to invent new words, if there wasn't something already "just right" for what they wanted to communicate. That's how language expands, and gives people the ability to more accurately convey their message to others. Subtleties of meaning also often require new words to communicate them properly.

I believe the same concept applies to the use of grammar and spelling. Rules of any kind shouldn't hamper the style or content of any communication, and if they do, we must make up new rules. While writing has certain grammatical rules that are meant to govern it, it is also an art, and if the impact or message can be enhanced by breaking these rules, they should be broken. Using fine art as an example, Van Gogh was criticized and rejected, because he didn't follow the "proper" rules or styles of painting. Yet most people now recognize that he conveyed feelings, and sometimes a message, that could have only been done by ignoring the rules, and expressing himself freely. I approach writing in a similar manner. I deliberately ignore convention, in favor of communicating with the reader in a way I feel is most effective. Much of this is because I want the writing to reflect "speaking" to you. This creates a more intimate communication, and also more accurately represents the thoughtful deliberateness of speech that is characteristic of many teachers.

Thus in my posts/comments you will find "odd" words/phrases/sentences, "odd" grammar and punctuation, and "odd" usage of all the above. It's not because I am illiterate or due to lack of professional editing. Some of the differences include (but are not limited to), extra commas (for instance, they may have been deliberately inserted to reflect an "enhanced" pause), hyphenated or strangely spelled words (to make something stand out, get you to think, or make a connection to another thought), These aren't extreme differences, and I believe it actually helps some readers transcend the limitations of left-brain thinking just a bit, and makes my writing even easier and more enjoyable to read.

So relax, take your shoes off, and enjoy the ride.