If you met me, you'd probably definitely never describe me as happy go lucky or bubbly.
But if you were to read one of my emails, you'd think you were corresponding with Suzie f***ing Sunshine!
And it's all because of the exclamation point!
Somewhere along the line, I couldn't write a freakin' email without one. And then it was two. And then, before I knew it, I'd officially become an exclamation point whore.
I couldn't stop.
An email just didn't seem complete without one five of them.
A sentence seemed flat and boring without one punctuating it.
I feared the recipient of my email wouldn't understand my excitement if the email didn't include a. String. Of. Them.
I was addicted.
I felt that the exclamation point was the only way I could get my, well, point across.
But then there were some comments about my very excited emails from those who shall remain nameless (hint: Liz wasn't one of said commenters- she's a total exclamation whore too!) and I was forced to take a long, hard look at my use of a punctuation tool that had grown to become, um, a friend. (Note to reader: I really wanted to put an exclamation point at the end of that last email, but I didn't...)
Was it professional? How many were too many? Could I substitute a smiley face or was that even worse? (more on that in a minute.)
And I tried, I really tried to leave them out of my emails. But at this point, typing them was practically second nature.
So before pushing send, I would attempt to edit. Which could stay and which should go? But I never felt I could get it right. I needed my exclamation points!!! All of them!!! Damnit!!!
But in an effort to curb my habit, I started to use this guy: :)
But he couldn't replace my beloved exclamation point. Smiley just seemed childish and second best. So I dumped him (but keep him on the back burner just in case) and went back to my first love.
But I will tell you that the situation has improved. I'm not as much of a whore anymore. In fact, I only used 14 in this post (and some of them were deliberately for dramatic purposes) and believe me, I could've used many, many more!
Leave a comment today and you'll be entered to win an advanced reader copy of The Love Goddess' Cooking School by Melissa Senate (in stores October 26th) AND The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes. Let me know if you also blatantly abuse any form of punctuation. Tell me I'm not alone :)
xoxo,
Lisa