"The sentences you write are in flux. You go over them, trimming, revising, and auditioning words, until you arrive at the sentence you were after all along." - Anne Lamott in Good Writing
Writing differs from volleyball. The "short game," tips and rolls, owns a place in your toolbox.
"In point of fact" becomes "in fact." "Put a finger on it" suffers compared with "point out." Having written much, I abused readers often.
Lamott's husband, Neal Allen shares: "A new dawn" becomes "Dawn." "Tax haven of the rich becomes "tax haven." "Bedridden in a hospital" becomes "hospitalized."
Soccer or rugby enthusiasts say, "Into touch." Volleyball says, "Out."
In baseball, a player leading the league in average, homers, and runs batted in becomes "Triple Crown winner." For MVB, All-State, Globe and Herald All-Scholastic (Gia), becomes "Triple Crown winner."
The threepeat of sectional championships from 2003-2005 becomes "The First Dynasty" and the fourpeat from 2009-2012 the Second Dynasty, the Second outshining the First.
Winning big carries an enduring luster. Legendary hoop coach Don Meyer saw a disconnect in that "most parents would rather see their son be All-State than see the team win States." Each of the Second Dynasty years had great players (e.g. Hannah Brickley, Athena Ziavras, Brooke Bell, and Sarah McGowan). The 2012 team gets more ink for a State Title.
Remember what Abraham Lincoln wrote, "I apologize for having written such a long letter because I did not have the time to write a shorter one."
Lagniappe. Be seen, be heard, and make a difference.
Lagniappe 2. Sometimes being there for someone means "being there."
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