The Distracting Artful Edit.

I recently read somewhere that "it is hard to say what you really mean without having another go - an indulgence daily life seldom allows." [Be more specific about source? Is link necessary?]

I think this is one of the reasons I like digital mediums for communication so much. [Reconsider word choice: "mediums for communication"?] I can take time to decide what I want to say, punch it up with some witty humor, revise and rethink, and then when I am finally satisfied, publish hit send. Of course, sometimes I still say something dumb, but at least there are a few extra safeguards to keep my foot out of my mouth.

I don't have a major problem talking to good friends in person. For one, they know me well enough to still like me even if I say something ridiculous, and I will eventually have a chance to correct any errant assumptions they logically derive from my thoughtless assertions. [wordy; consider simplifying]

But around strangers, I get flustered. As we know, some people's good opinions once lost, are lost forever [Pride and Prejudice reference? Really necessary?]. Sometimes I start talking just because I feel inclined pressured to say something, and end up saying something I don't mean at all. Or I say something that makes sense in my head, but to a newcomer uninitiated to the inner workings of my twisted mind, it is altogether senseless. Sometimes I'll even end up deliberately saying something completely contrary to my own opinion just to push the conversation forward in an interesting direction. [insert humorous incident here]

Texting, IMing, blogging, and emailing all give me a chance to reflect before I commit myself to speaking (though I admit I may not always take advantage of that opportunity). While I find this enormously comforting, I worry it means I have even less practice expressing myself in true conversation. [Are so-called "digital" conversations less valid?] Maybe it's a crutch, but one I can't really separate myself from.

And now, for lack of a better way to end this post, a baby eating its own foot:



[Baby ending = cop out. Reconsider a solid closing paragraph that will bring post to an obvious conclusion about ideas discussed.]