See what I mean?

When you know what it’s supposed to say, it’s hard to see what it says.

Most every writer needs an editor, and sometimes readers need interpreters. The problem isn’t putting out a good message or bringing in a great story, the problem is in “knowing” what has or is being said. One has to take care or confusion abounds…

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A little mix up at the checkout counter

So, I’m off to spend the bookstore gift card that I’ve been hanging onto for a while. And yes, bookstores aren’t just bookstores any more, and I’m not quite sure what I want to get (though a gift for Dad would be good). In my usual style, I scan through the “bargain” section to see what gems might be had there (alas, no luck today). This drops me out near the DVD section and that prompts an idea for a movie – checking out the subject in the handy reference lookup station I see the exact title I’m looking for, and viola – one item in hand.

Next it’s time to do the “grand tour” of the book section and while I see some things of interest, nothing catches my eye. And then there’s a table of “one-a-day calendar” pads, and I’m thinking that could be a great idea – if I get one that holds his interest, he gets something every day of the year. After much internal struggle between the golf / old age / zen / medical-humor / dad-humor and fishing options, I find one with cartoons from the New-Yorker and say to myself – this is good. Calculating that my card is just about used up, I’m ready to see if there is a snack that would work out (unfortunately no), and then it is off to the checkout I go.

One of the two young clerks is mentioning gmail to a customer (I think they both might have been RIT students), but soon enough it was my turn. I set my two selections down on the counter and whip out my gift card, looking around as the clerk does his thing.

But then he says “We’ll be glad to accept your Borders gift card, or a Waldenbooks one.” To which I look at him in a “what do you mean” sort of way… “Your gift card sir, we’ll be glad to accept a Borders gift card…” Clearly I still hadn’t understood, as he repeated plainly. “That card” (indicating the one in my hand) “is from Barnes and Noble.”

All I could do is mumble an apology and walk away sheepishly…

I was cracking up as I drove away in my car – I was certain that I had verified the gift card against the name of the store before I had gone in – how could this happen?-)

What you know vs. what you see

But in reality, I had thought to myself, “the Barnes and Noble store is there [imagining location in head]”, and when I arrived there, the B in Borders matched enough of the name for me to confirm that I was in the right spot…

Writing is the same way

I write with a partner, and we edit for each other. Sometimes I write and he edits, and sometimes he writes and I edit. I think I’ve written something nicely and laid it out fairly well, and he comes in and re-arranges and rewords. In the end we both think it looks good. But the same thinking goes on. I know what I want to say, and I let the words flow out of my fingers, but sometimes the brain-hand connection gets weak, and the things that come out are not in the best order for someone else to understand.

That’s where the fresh reader can step in and point out that the flow is reversed, or a critical portion is glossed over, or it just doesn’t make sense (yet;-). And these are things that the writer just can’t see because they “know” what it is supposed to say.

Readers do that too

And I mean readers in the broadest of senses – anyone who is receiving a message, be it visual, audible or otherwise. When someone already “knows” what is being said, they tend to hear what they know – even when that isn’t being said.

You’ve probably done it yourself – when a (insert stereotypical person here) gets up on a soapbox and starts talking about their (insert stereotypical subject here) don’t you hear just what you expect to hear?

In the simplest of cases, that is exactly what happened to me – I expected to find the store that I wanted exactly where I wanted it, and that’s what I saw.

We fill in details

If I strt wrting in sme abbrvitd frmat, u cn stll mke yur way thrgh it. It isn’t prtty, and yur hed hrts aftr a whle, but u can do it.

We “know” what the words should be and can fill in the holes to make them complete.

But you have to be careful

Once in a while you get misled (like I did) and need to step back, mumble an apology, and figure out how to keep from heading down that road again.

Once in a while the person that you have pre-judged will have an opinion that isn’t quite what you were expecting.

Once in a while, you might hear something new.

Take care, and pay attention

We’re in a hurry – places to go, things to do, people to see…

Concentrate on “now”, and what you are doing. It is a lesson we all hope to instill in our children, and one we need reminding of now and again.

I hope in having a chuckle at my mis-adventure you’ll stay on top of things – and headed in the right direction.