But, It's a Trend

At least one of those pencils is blue.

Confession: I sent a garbled email this morning. The garbling was accidental, but isn't it always? When I reread anything I've written, I find typos and errant commas. I make mistakes. They decrease in quantity as my coffee consumption goes up but their severity accelerates with the number of emails I must send before seven a.m. This morning proved a doozy. Here's a snippet from my mixed-up email: "…to get you what you the disclosure form…" Oh, the humanity. Woe the clarity.

I'm no grammar guru. That said, I like language and believe using it correctly increases the chance we'll be understood. Good grammar = easier communication.

Two evenings ago, an unexpected comma in a student's work snagged my attention. The sentence went something like this: "But, no one answered." I scribbled Why the comma? in the margin. (Are you surprised I let a student begin a sentence with but? I don't fight that battle anymore. In fact, I've joined the enemy.) A page later, the same construction appeared. And then it showed up again.

Three times? I smell a trend. 

Language trends thrill me, and I see no conflict in appreciating both good grammar and the elasticity of the spoken and written word. Think of an interior designer who creates a room around principles of scale, balance, and symmetry and then injects asymmetry to shake things up.

I clapped in delight at a post entitled "But, Are You a Person That Does This Alot?" by the Houston Chronicle's Kyrie O'Connor: Check out # 7 on the list. Yes, it's a trend!

While no one will ever accuse me of being on trend, I'm guilty of the last oddity in # 5. That's right, I say "I'm good" whenever servers approach me in noisy restaurants. Why? I'm afraid I'll misunderstand what they're offering/asking and will end up with the Kale Special or a $24 glass of wine. A former student who arrived in this country with little English learned to answer requests with "okay" rather than yes or no. He figured "okay" acknowledged the request but didn't commit him one way or the other.

Update: The recipient of my garbled email responded as if I'd written nothing wrong. More to the point, he understood exactly what I'd meant to say. 

Have you garbled any sentences lately? How much coffee do you drink before you trust yourself to send important early-morning emails

My Blue Texas

Bluebonnets in Houston's Terry Hershey Park

Come spring, Texans pile into cars and trucks and hunt down stands of bluebonnets in fields, parks, and alongside highways, where the Texas Department of Transportation sows seeds. In fact, TxDOT's website includes a regularly updated map that shows where wildflowers like bluebonnets can be found. 

It's a tradition for parents to photograph little ones sitting, running, or playing among bluebonnets. As soon as the perfect shot is taken, though, the parents must brush off the kids to whisk away fire ants and other pests. Spring in the Lone Star state may carry a sting.

Texas schoolchildren learn the "Please Don't Pick the Bluebonnets" message. If the flowers survive long enough to broadcast their seed, we'll get a glorious show of color next year. Of course, Mother Nature has to cooperate with rain and the right temperature. It helps, too, that municipalities and individuals join TxDOT in sowing seeds.

Here in southeast Texas, winters are mild, so bluebonnets don't signal the end of bitter cold. Why then do Texans so look forward to them? I can think of at least three reasons. One, the flowers are pretty, perky, and a striking shade of blue. Two, the legend of bluebonnets' start in Texas begins with the little Comanche girl who gave up her prized possession to end a drought. Not only is the little girl's story touching, but the specter of drought is as pertinent today as it was then. Finally, spring is outstanding in southeast Texas, and the bluebonnet reminds us to stop and savor the season. The blistering heat of summer is around the corner, so we have to wring every bit of enjoyment out of balmy temperatures, the sight of trees in bud, and, of course, those bluebonnets.

Here's a charming article about Texans' fascination with bluebonnets by the Houston Chronicle's Kyrie C'Connor. 

Texans aren't the only ones in stalking a favorite blossom. Here, Melinda Van Lone writes of her quest to see and photograph Washington D.C.'s cherry blossoms. 

What's the weather like in your part of the world? Does your area boast an iconic spring blossom? If so, what is it?