Hanged by Mistake

I can blame it on distractions or say it was due to a blurring eyesight or maybe even to a busy schedule that forces me to rush things up a bit. Whatever the excuse, I feel I ought to kick myself for not properly editing my articles prior to their submission. I proof-read my work at least twice, yet there are still words that sometimes slip my notice, lines that could use re-phrasing, subject-verb agreements that don’t jive. Often the realizations of my mistakes come only when it is too late to retract. There are also the kinds of errors caused by computer glitches. After all, a simple click of the wrong button can erase entire lines, making the actual composition lose its flow and unfortunately, also some of its essence.

My father raised me with the awareness of words, its usage and their significance.  He would explain how important it is to properly construct our sentences. The selection of words, their positioning and the punctuations used can make a world of difference. To emphasize on this principle, my dad shared with me a story: It is that of a man who supposedly was guilty of a grievous crime. As he stood on the scaffold to receive his capital punishment, a note arrived. It instructed: Hang! Not Spare. And so the floor beneath the man accused was opened. He fell deep into it, and his neck was broken. When news of this reached the official who sent the message, he was furious because he specifically ordered that the man be freed. He said, “Hang not. Spare!” but due to plain incompetence, though the very same words were used, the punctuations were reversed. This neglect to detail paid a high cost.

Though this tale is quite dramatic and seems most unlikely to happen, the fundamental meaning behind it still holds true. We can be hanged by mistake with the littlest of errors made. A single word misused or a punctuation switched can make or break a written piece of literature, a relationship, and in this particular case, a life.