C is for Column Corrections

This entry has to do with editing of course and it is a little story about me as well. One of my new adventures has been into the world of writing columns. Though I only have a few to my credit, I was so excited to see the first one in print. I remember digitally leafing through the paper until I found my column and there were a couple of sentences after what I had written that told my job history at the paper, my current location and my hometown. Well, almost…

Interestingly enough, my column answered all of these questions, well at least the last two. I am not sure who wrote it, and it doesn’t matter. What matters is that the paper was nice enough to give me a shot at a column and I should not point out mistakes! Right? Wrong. Well, being from a small town helps, where everybody knows your name and subsequently where you’re from even if the paper says differently.

As for the mistakes, the first was my hometown, which was said to be New Era instead of Shelby. And though they are within four miles of each other, kind of like that pesky r and f key on the keyboard of America, it is still a mistake. The second said that “she is obtaining my degree”. I think that may have been a cut and paste from the piece, where the “I” was changed to “she” but not the “my” to “her.”

And just because the paper made a mistake, doesn’t mean I love it any less. Hey we’re all human here folks, and if you’re not, keep an eye out for the Enquirer.