Paean to the Endangered Art of Spelling

Eyes Before Ease by Larry Beason
I put this book on hold at the library three weeks ago, and it is steadily moving up the list, I'll have it by next week, so Librarian Sue assures me. One of many on my "Hold list" but the one I am most anticipating.

Spelling truly is more than simply the correct arrangement of consonants and vowels on a list for a test given every Thursday afternoon. Correct spelling divulges the human experience itself. Where our language has been, through which wars and settlements has it endured and been affected by - it all shows in the spelling of certain words.

"To err is human" is wisely recorded for all to read; to err is human, but to spell correctly is better. So much of our technical age has us utilizing automated spelling devises (where would we be without SpellCheck?), encountering abbreviated spelling techniques, (BTW-LOL. ITNF, my POS S TTYL). You've been encumbered by them, I know you have. Entire conversations are communicated without breaking open a noun, verb, adjective, or utilizing capitalization or punctuation. Forget about the overuse of the comma (the prime error in my 9th grade English and Grammar class) - "lets just throw every usage of punctuation out the window and simply stop a thought when we are done thinking, whether it is finished or not." Let me tell you, nothing and I mean nothing gets my goat like finding a typo on one of my own documents, a typographical error that I have mistakenly typed, overlooked, avoided or skimmed past. I hate to spell things wrong - I hate it! It applies to Lotus Notes, bulletins, school papers - the whole lot. No one wants to be a member of the Untied Methodist Church, but its happens everyday of the week simply by the cursory care so many give to spelling. And how many officers are connected with The Salavation Army? It happens so easily! I feel like somewhere deep down in the lurking scheme of my DNA God emplanted a typo-finder...they jump off the page at me. It is an unfortunante curse to ALWAYS be the bearer of tedious wrongness to unsuspecting souls.

People who spell better succeed at higher rates in every single profession. Spelling lets us communicate with others and it indicates our intelligence (high or low) before we even put on a power suit, enter an interview, meet a client for a project campaign. Before someone has the opportunity to assess our verbal capabilities, the written page carries an equivalent of what we consider important. My uniform may fit me impeccably, I may be able to quote the entire Psalter in Latin but if I cannot spell united worship, my reputation is spoiled.

The endangered art of spelling is not without it champions - winner of the 78th National Scribbs Spelling Bee 2006 was Anurag Kashyap spelling appoggiatura - an embellishing note in musical manuscript, usually one step above or below the note it precedes, and indicated by a half-sized note. (I was so excited - I knew how to spell that word and ran and showed Abby in her piano book where one was in the piece she is preparing for her lesson tomorrow. So did several in the audience...a collective, celebration gasp we all inhaled as he signified by the giant smile on his face, "Oh, do I know how to spell this...")

May 31 is the live broadcast of the 2007 National Spelling Bee, and I'm getting my notebook ready with a sharpened pencil and I may need to tape it or watch it after it's live broadcast, but I do want to see its action-packed competition.

Yeah, don't laugh at me. I know I was watching last year's competition, there are hours of it available on tv or the internet. I know the NBA is in the throes of its tournament playoff time with teams facing elimination...and the Cavs are hanging in strong. I know that the NHL Stanley Cup tournament playoff time still has the Red Wings competing strong, hitting hard and scoring fast. I'm aware that my Machine pitch baseball team tonight won their game 13-1 and my Little League game needed to be called on the verge of high-wind thunderstorm in the 4th inning. I know that in MLB, the Cleveland Indians are beating the Minnesota Twins, in NASCAR there are record-breaking penalties being doled out - there is a ton of Sports News right now. But I am glued to the screen of ESPN2 as these 11 year old and 13 year old spellers simply shine for the world to see.

They are exquisite and phenomenal - and my heart is racing at their added shows of excellence and temerity.

peccavi cantist onomasiologic ceraunograph eminentissimo

onychophagy (the compulsive biting of fingernails) epideitic - rhetoric

exsiccosis - dehydration sobornost - spiritual harmony hodiernal - present day

and the eliminators of two spellers in round 19

trouvaille - a lucky find

roscian - the skill of acting

As I sit with my notebook, I am spelling with them, trying my knowledge and laughing with them as the giant S for the background SCRIBBS falls off the wall. I sigh with relief when I find a word I know, or can recognize the foundational spelling from the definition or the language of origin.

Whew...$22,000.00 cash prize and scholarship money for college tuition to a college of their choice - an exceptional grand prize!

It was the first time in 45 years that more than two contestants advanced to the championship rounds, there being three for three rounds. There were actually only 9 words left, and if they all would have continued spelling correctly, they would have all been the Spelling Champions.

Thrilling beyond belief for me, and my young ones as they retreat to bed are faking their newest awareness of phobias. They are doing their best imitations of clinophobia (the fear of going to bed) or hypnophobia (fear of sleep). Neither are working, so I must scoot them up there.

Enjoy your evening and always know, there is a world of telling in your realm of spelling!