A dear friend and neighbor sent me a delightful message yesterday regarding the errors in my blog. He’s so kind as he points out my spelling or wording mistakes. He’ll always say, “I think you meant this . . . ” He’s an excellent proofreader!
I laughed out loud because of how little shame or embarrassment I felt, even as a writing professor and grammar expert.
He wondered if maybe I left little mistakes on purpose for him to find as a test to see if he read my blog that day. I laughed out loud again. The idea made me realize the beauty of making mistakes, not just for others to find, but because when you make an error, it actually invites other people in. They can become part of the journey, part of your life, and part of your project as they offer wisdom and instruction. It’s not a source of shame to fail; it’s always an opportunity.
The younger me might have burned with shame to miss a mistake while proofreading. Who cares? I make mistakes; I’m not perfect. And now, you enjoy the fun of finding where I’m wrong and helping me out. Sometime in the last 10 years, I got over myself and my need to impress or be perfect. And not being perfect means others can shine. So there’s probably many errors to find in my future. That’s living with flair!
I look forward to many more messages that begin with, “Heather, I think you meant this.”