A Second Look is Always Warranted

As I inch closer and closer (at what sometimes seems like a glacial pace) to finishing the first draft of my current work-in-progress, I’m starting to get excited about editing.

I love the revision process. No blank pages. Things I forgot I wrote that I really like. Things I remember writing, but can’t remember why I every thought they worked. It’s fun.

And something I really should do more in my day to day activities -- The whole giving things a second (or seventh or eighth) look.

Not all that long ago I wanted to pump the Roomie up for a game she was about to play. Unfortunately, the message I sent her was, “Kiss ass at soccer!”

The sentiment was just not quite the same. And as much as I wish I could blame auto-correct, that mistake was all me.

Also, I don’t know about you, but my emails to my friends lack a certain, shall we say, formality. Basically, I say stupid things and try out silly nicknames for both them and myself. Good clean fun. Each one of them is as big a weirdo as I am (hence the continued friendships) that it’s never embarrassing. You know, except in the rare incidences when I forget to double check the “To” line and accidentally include my internship supervisor rather than my friend of the same name.

And talk about how I’ve been procrastinating all my school work.

And sign it “K.J. izzle”.

And have a friend reply-all with this advice:

K Jizzle - I recommend red bull followed by a chaser of 5 hour energy.

Side effects include - heart stopping/mild death from all the caffeine; good grades from staying up all night; uncontrollable desire to mutilate house pets....

*Cue me racing awkward turtles to burrow under an island of awkward palm trees.*

Thankfully, I’m not alone in these little uncomfortable moments.

A friend was applying to a job that required a writing sample to be attached to her resume. Rather than send them the very appropriate writing sample that she intended, she had a momentary lapse of attention and sent them her anthropology paper on Incan sex positions.

She was not thrilled when she realized the mistake.

She did, however, get the job. And gave the rest of us quite a giggle. Silver linings all over the place.

But, my recommendation? Save yourself those red-faced moments of horror and live your lives as editors. Of course, if you choose to disregard this advice, please share your slip ups. We could all use the laughs.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to keep plugging away at this story so that I can finally get to the whole editing part.