About a BLOG

I noticed one of those "buttons" on a blog where you can check the readability of your blog. A couple of the blogs I read announced their status as "college-level" readability. Not that only college educated people were able to read it, just that their writing was on that level. Was it vanity that made me enter my blog? I was horrified to receive an "elementary"level. My children tried to console me, saying that it was great that all levels of folks could read my blog. But, at a deeper level, I felt absolutely upset. After all, how many elementary students know the word "erstwhile", I ask you? I railed at the computer, much to the amusement of my small child filled audience. Somehow, wanting to vindicate my report, I entered Savannah's photography business page. I sat there dumbfounded as the diagnostic proclaimed her blog to be on "Genius" level! Am I a blog-writing snob?
Once upon a time, my husband would shout out "ching! 25 cent word!" when I used a long word in a sentence. For a few weeks, I used smaller words, wanting to avoid this particular form of announcement. Then I decided that using smaller words meant that I assumed the person I was talking to was not as smart as I was. That was not right either! Finally I just decided to be myself, and my dh has stopped giving my words money designations.
For a time, we had a single friend who would actually whip out a notebook and write down my "vocabulary" words. Let me tell you, that will give you a bit of false pride! One day, a group of us were discussing the tomato, is it a fruit or vegetable? When I said, "Horticulturally speaking, the tomato is a fruit." Someone on the other side of the room burst out laughing, "Did you just say horticulturally speaking?" "Now I have heard everything!" I'm fairly certain he was being sarcastic!
I want to be clear in my writing, but also not ramble on. Most mistakes I make are usually typing errors, but I am not the most articulate, either. I guess my feelings were a little hurt. By a computer program. Who knows what criteria it is set up to judge? Boy, do I need to get over myself or what? Another little lesson on pride for yours truly!