I think I have a problem.

Hello, again!

Grammar, grammar, grammar...

In 3rd grade, I learned I was a bit (understatement) of a grammar cop.  This was the year all of us learned when to say "my friend and I" verus "my friend and me."  Regardless of whether I was in the classroom or choosing my team for kickball, whenever someone used "me" instead of "I," I was all over them.  I would clear my throat, just as Ms. Oakley, my teacher, did and ask, "Whoooo?" in a drawn out manner.  The number of eye rolls I received from the general 4" tall population that year was countless.  

This memory flew back to me after reading chapter 1 of When Words Collide.  The "Insta-talk" section spoke to me directly.  Why?  Because I, Annie Colletti, in addition to being slightly obsessed with grammar, am a texting fiend.  If I leave my phone at home, I feel like I've lost a limb.  Sad, I know, but I can't help it.  Despite the fact that my relationship with texting is going quite well and may even be considered unhealthy, I do have one slight problem with the system.  Just as Kessler and McDonald wrote in When Words Collide, it seems as though a texter's respect for the English language vanishes just as quickly as his thumbs fly across the tiny keypad.   I have even noticed myself do it here and there.  While I always include colons, periods, commas and apostrophes when necessary, I do not always capitalize proper nouns or words that I should.  The difference between those that throw out the entire language and me is that I know exactly what I am doing.  I do it because I don't want people to think I am a "know it all" or something of the like.  It makes the conversation more informal and casual, which is how it should be.  Deep, grammatically correct conversations are not meant for a Nokia screen.  I do not know why, though, and that bothers me.  I couldn't agree more with Kessler and McDonald.  The English language has one set of rules, not various rules depending upon the medium.  For this reason, I am going to take a stand.  I will capitalize when I should and avoid the "hahas," even if I really did laugh.  It'll be interesting to see how many virtual eyerolls I get this time.