Blatant disregard for the rules of punctuation

As a teacher, you'd think I'd be a stickler to the rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation in my own writing. In fact, you'd think I'd find it humiliating to discover an error written on my blog. All of this is true... however somewhere along the way, I just started writing and forgot to worry. I DO try to always spellcheck - I actually HATE misspelled words... but once in awhile one slips by and onto this page. As for grammar, I do my best... but mostly I write the way I speak - which is the beauty of a blog. I can write down my thoughts without spending too much time diagramming sentences.

Punctuation. It is a problem. While most of the punctuation rules have taken a firm hold in my brain, a few have slipped out my ears. Therefore I have repeatedly misused the ellipsis, and will probably continue to do so. I use it to illustrate a dramatic pause, a change in thought, a breath, a connection... basically anytime I can't think of the proper punctuation for the sentence. I admit it. I own it. I will continue to abuse the poor little ellipsis. I apologize to those of you who care... and to the ellipsis itself.

As far as I know, abuse of the ellipsis is going unnoticed, either that, or I'm the only one with this problem. I've found at least 4 blogs completely devoted to the abuse of apostrophes:

• apostrophism, apostrophe abuse, apostrophe catastrophes, the abuse of apostrophes in everyday life

there is even a society formed for protecting the victimized apostrophe. Apparently this sort of abuse is becoming an epidemic... I had no idea.

Apostrophes aren't the only ones... apparently quotation marks are being abused and so is the lowercase L and now even words are going to have to protect themselves. The word 'literally' has been targeted (I hate to place blame, but Jenny, this may be because of you. Thank goodness you've recently switched to "what-not").

Anyway, although I am going to continue my ellipsis abuse (how can I sleep at night? I don't know.) I've decided that those three little dots should have their own blog to raise awareness of their victimization. So, "F is for Fischer" will also be known as "Examples of Ellipsis Effrontery". I'm sure every post past and present will show representation of this problem. Awareness is how change begins to happen.

P.S. I must admit that linking to these punctuation and grammar rule-abiding blogs freaks me out a little. If those authors happen to come over here, I hope they can leave their red pens at home. The hey-day they could have with my defilement of the dash or hyphen, terrifying!