Recently I had written ‘diary/diaries’ beneath a picture I posted in Instagram when I should have written ‘dairy/dairies’. The picture had been of a Pecan Butter ice-cream stick from London Dairy. A friend was gracious enough to point out the mistake. I was horrified I had made one and quickly made corrections. My bad. I had simply chosen the words from a drop down menu without paying much attention to it, a crime in mine own eyes.

Towards the end of our exchange, my friend apologized for being what she termed, ‘a Grammar Nazi’. Well, I don’t know about you, but I have great respect and admiration for those people who go out of their way to tell me I have made a spelling or grammar mistake. I don’t care what they are called, ‘Grammar Nazi’ or ‘Grammar Police’, I consider them my friends.

The other day another friend sent me a message to inform that I had written ‘flea’ in place of ‘flee’. I’d like to think only a friend would bother to do that. He could have read my post and smiled at the mistake and moved on with his day. But he found time to note it and inform me. I am loathe to say this because he is infuriating at other times and in all probability is going to get a swollen head after reading this, but I consider what he did  (and he has done this more than once) as the mark of true friendship.

Likewise, there have been other occasions when other nice people have helped me see what I have overlooked/missed. However much you try not to, many a time you do end up making some blooper or other inadvertently, or even due to sheer ignorance. These Good Samaritans could have let it go. Instead they took the time and effort to reach out, to give me an opportunity to make corrections. And that to me is commendable behavior.

This is precisely why I disagree with the meme going around Facebook that says it is  only immature people who correct the grammar/spelling mistakes of others.

Like really?

No my dears, you are so very wrong. It take ‘maturity’ to step up and help others improve themselves because when you correct others you ARE giving them an opportunity to get better and just maybe eclipse you. How can that behavior be termed ‘immaturity’? Immature people don’t really care either way, do they? Or they may even want you to remain the same, not get any better, as you may end up besting them. I am betting the thought never occurred to those sharing the meme 😉

©Shail Mohan 2018