Brenda’s Blog – June 6, 2017
“…havoc”
I typed an email to a friend using the word “wreaked.” Before I could even begin to type another word auto-correct added “havoc.” How predictable was I when even auto-correct fills in the spaces in my cliché-riddled email?
Why can auto-correct read my mind? Or is my mind so given to the hackneyed that I fall into one of their algorithms? Then why does it play such havoc with words I know I want to use yet it refuses time after time to leave it alone? How can it possibly think it knows what I am thinking?
Then I think of the comfort of predictability… knowing how a person will react, expecting a certain outcome, or moving confidently ahead. It takes energy to constantly be on the alert for a head fake. It is pleasant to have a certain degree of “I just know” in life.
I saw a shoe hack on Facebook yesterday giving clues on taping toes together to relieve the pressure on the balls of feet in order to wear shoes that were designed by a sadist. What is wrong with wearing footwear that actually feels good? What social faux pas do we commit when we don’t have to tape body parts together in order to reduce extreme pain? What is wrong with living life with a certain degree of predictability that allows ease of motion, socially and relationally?
Certainly, there is energy generated by the unexpected. Dad used to tell me “there’s nothing wrong with you that a little excitement won’t cure.” And I agree… to a point. Too much excitement, too much unpredictability, too much “where in the world is this going?” leaves me with blisters on my soul.
Okay, so the next time I type wreaked and auto-correct smartly pops in with “havoc” I will just smile and type over it with some other word – even though havoc is probably the best choice.