On Grammar and Tone

This post is probably going to come across as a little silly.  And also SUPER NERDY.  Bear with me.

I hate exclamation points.

!
Look at it. It's hideous. It's so ostentatious.

This might seem strange to some of you who have interacted with me in person, since I am typically a pretty enthusiastic person.  I have absolutely no problem with exclamations in verbal speech.  You have every right to your enthusiasm.

But I find exclamation points in the written word extremely irritating.  To me, they're kind of the
(sarcasm font, once we figure out how to do that) of enthusiasm.  Realistically, if you are properly excited about something, the words you use should convey that all on their own.  Instead, ending sentences, especially in formal writing, with exclamation points comes across as...half-hearted.  Look at me! See how excited I am! Even though no other part of what I'm saying conveys any sense of excitement! I'm using exclamation points because they're a shortcut to fun!
Now, I think they're fitting in some circumstances.  The difference between "Happy Birthday." and "Happy Birthday!" when relying solely on non-verbal cues can be huge, since most people interpret the first as rather flat and unexcited.  However, when not operating solely on brevity, one shouldn't need !!!!!! to convince them that "Happy Birthday. I hope it is every bit as wonderful and joyful as you deserve." is happy, enthusiastic, and sincere.

Punctuation matters in setting a tone in writing.  But the fact is that, too often, it is a short-hand for actual verbal expression.

Also, people who overuse exclamation points are typically just way too happy for my tastes and probably need to get rained on.  Sorry about it.

Unenthusiastically yours,
Rachel Leigh

So, in case you haven't heard, I've relocated a bit more...centrally, I guess.

These days, I'm in DC, starting my Master's program and learning how to live on my own...so that should be interesting.  We'll see how this goes.

On Privilege, Racism, and Ferguson

My heart goes out today to the people of Ferguson, Missouri.  I cannot know your pain, but I sympathize with your rage.

I am not a person of color.

I am not one to speak often of privilege, because I feel there are people much better suited to speak about it than me.  But I am not a person of color.

It is not my place to take control of your movement or to subsume your anger into my own understanding.  I don't have to worry about what would happen if my son or daughter were shot down in a horrifying act of police brutality -- the color of my skin makes that incredibly unlikely.  I benefit from systemic racism which says that because I am a white woman, particularly a cisgender college-educated white woman, that I am not a threat.

There are places and times when gender is not a gift.  It has often made me afraid to be alone in public settings.  But it has never made me fear police brutality.  I will not have to raise my kids to fear police profiling or extra, unwarranted attention.  I do not have to fear that reaching for my wallet may be confused with reaching for a gun.

The situation is not the same, however, for the black population in America.  I cannot say I understand, because I don't.  I don't get it.  I was not raised with the same fear; I do not face the same threats.  My privilege protects me from understanding the pain Michael Brown's mother must be feeling right now.  But I am sympathetic to your pain, your cause, and your rage, and I will do my best to use my privilege to help things change.

Esther Day

It's been nearly two months since I last posted something.

And I feel bad about that.

But today is Esther Day, and I think that's a suitable reason to break my silence.

Esther Day is a day that is named after Esther Grace Earl.  It is also her birthday.  Several years ago, Esther told John and Hank Green that she wanted her birthday to be a day when people celebrate non-romantic love (love between friends, familial love, all kinds of not-romcom love).  She also wanted it to be the one day that John and Hank tell each other that they love each other.

I say "wanted" because Esther passed away after a battle with thyroid cancer.  Esther Day is her legacy.

It's kind of cool to think there's a day devoted to non-romantic love, because romantic love monopolizes so much of our attention, that somehow the other forms of love are made to seem less valid or less worthy.  And they're not.  They're a hugely important part of what makes us unique and functional human beings -- the capacity to love and be loved in return, especially in familial and platonic fashions.

So Happy Esther Day.  I love you all.  Please take the time to tell the people YOU love that you love them.

Don't Forget to be Awesome.