My last column quoted three readers who I said "pounced" on a tortured sentence they had read in a news article; the sentence conveyed a meaning opposite of what the writer intended.
Later in that column, I quoted a sentence similarly tortured:
"After swimming from Cuba to Key West at age 74, Dr. Sanjay Gupta asks Diana Nyad how she's staying fit into her 70s."
That means Gupta swam. Wrong.
I suggested this fix: "After Diana Nyad swam from Cuba to Key West at the age of 74, Sanjay Gupta asked her how she stays fit."
Then I wrote, Sanjay Gupta, CNN's resident doctor, is 53, not 64. Diana Nyad, 74, is a world-famous long-distance swimmer.
That prompted six readers to pounce — on me.
I deserved it.
I failed to follow my own advice: to read aloud what I write. I did read my text three times — silently — and missed my error.
That "64" was no typo; it was my mistake. It should have read 74, not 64.
What can I say? The Bible in Luke 4:23 answers: "Physician, heal thyself."
I embrace accountability, and I hope I have cleansed my soul.
That's more than I can say for whoever wrote the form for the Minnesota Department of Revenue, regarding the $260 per person rebate on 2021 income taxes.
The form asked if my home address and bank account number had changed since my 2021 tax return. I answered no about my address and yes about my bank.
Next, the following language appeared, with a box to be checked, or not:
"I acknowledge that if I indicated NO to both the home address change and the bank information change questions above, if eligible, I will receive a payment using the information from my 2021 tax return."
I could not answer accurately, since I had indicated no to one, yes to the other. Hours of calls to the state provided no explanation. Finally, one agent said, "Hey, just check the box."
Not reassuring.
Unclear writing undermines trust and can lead to costly decisions.
Last resort on the rebate: the efficacy of prayer.
Gilson conducts writing workshops online. He can be reached through www.writebetterwithgary.com.
