September 2019 | Your favorite separator
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EM-DASH LOVE
Ah, the em dash. It’s getting lots of love lately. It’s, dare I say, a popular mark of punctuation.
If you’re a keen-eyed reader of this newsletter, you’ve likely noticed a parenthetical notation set off by em dashes rather than parentheses. (Okay, if you’re a keen-eyed reader AND a lover of grammar ….) And if you’re familiar with the Microsoft Writing Style Guide (an even smaller segment of readers), you may notice that I follow the MWSG guidelines—em dash, no spaces surrounding it. Whew, now that we’ve gotten my influences out of the way …
(For the record, my favorite punctuation remains the semicolon, which I have long loved for its ability to tie two independent clauses together sans conjunction. I get shivers just writing about it.)
The beauty of the em dash is its chameleon-like ability to fill in for commas, semicolons, parentheses, and more punctuation marks. This flexibility, of course, is why some people haven’t yet warmed to the em dash, but I suspect most will come around in the end—until some other cool mark of punctuation dethrones this one.
I’m lucky to be a Mac user, for I can insert an em dash with no trouble at all by using a simple keyboard shortcut: shift+option+-[dash]. (This elicits further shivers of delight. I know! I’m a nerd! I like it that way!) In my PC days, I would find an em dash somewhere on the internet, copy it, and paste it where I wanted it—like a commoner.
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MAGIC IS FOR GROWN-UPS
Why should you—who are most likely over the age of 18—read children’s books? After all, the whole wide world of the internet is there to keep you coming back for dopamine hits of information, likes, follows, and favorites. And when you’re tired of the internet (ha! But seriously, it happens), you may point to your shelves (or your Kindle) chock-a-block full (I literally just learned that it’s spelled “chock-a-block” and not “chock-a-bock” after looking up the origins of this compound word, why thank you, internet) with (are you still with me because I’ve diverted multiple times in this one, already-complex sentence) proper grown-up tomes to read. What constitutes a proper grown-up book? I picture something heavy and leather-bound peppered with a dense vocabulary and footnotes. I feel put off just thinking about it.
Look beyond your proper books—the ones that are there simply to make you feel intelligent—and find those slim copies filled with tales of magic and wonder, adventure and drama. Sink in to the story. You may find your imagination restored after years of being relegated to the dusty back corner of your mind. And with your newly shined imagination, may you find hope, bravery, and the strength to endure being a grown-up.
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PHOTO ETHICS
Nearly 70 years ago, the question of whether it’s okay to take (and publish) candid photos of strangers was debated in the New York Times. I read this article from 1950 with interest. As much as I love having a stellar camera in my pocket with which to capture the mundanities of my particular life and loved ones, I loathe the proliferation of photo-capturing and sharing devices, apps, and products. What refuge can one find from the lenses in the pockets of literally billions of people? (Almost none, is the answer.)
In 1950, the documentarian Roy E. Stryker said:
… the very future of the photograph as a social instrument is dependent on this single element: maintaining a basic respect for human dignity.
The camera is, inescapably, an intimate instrument. It records for a fraction of a second a fellow being as he is. The man who operates it for public dissemination then, must have a deep sense of respect for all human life. I detest and always have detested the sneak snapshot. The photograph should never be used as a sort of modern revival of medieval bear-baiting or a Roman holiday designed to bring amusement to the masses at the expense of deprecating any human being.
Let us think on the gravity of our decisions as we wield our cameras—who do we capture and why? Are we inflicting harm or embarrassment when we choose to share? Are we using the camera to mock and humiliate? If the answer to the latter two questions is yes, please reconsider.
Remember to ask yourself whether you’ve gained consent to use someone else’s visage before you post. Remember to respect human dignity.
First impression while reading “This Italian Town Always Smells Like Panettone”: Yes, please, I want to move there, I am applying for my visa right now, see you soon, Italy, I’m on my way.
This thought is immediately followed by the memory of my first job at a bagel shop when I was a teenager: That blissful smell of butter and sugar and flour magically stuck to my hair, scent drawn under my nose as a breeze swept by, a smell that delighted me for mere days before becoming synonymous with 6 AM shifts, grumpy management, and awkwardly running into high school exes. And suddenly that sweet, sticky smell became sickly and gag worthy.
Third evolution of thought: I made a panettone around the holidays last year, just banged one out like a pro, and it was really tasty. So maybe there is a place for me in an Italian town that smells like enriched dough and candied fruit.
I still like bagels. I still love the magic smell of butter and sugar and flour browning in the oven. But maybe I’ll take a raincheck on living in the panettone town.
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THE SCENT OF PANETTONE
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MEANING VS. HAPPINESS
Do you derive happiness from your work? What about meaning? Is one more important than the other?
According to this article in the Harvard Business Review, feeling that your work is meaningful (and, I would extrapolate, feeling that what you’re doing with your life is meaningful) elevates your job satisfaction and engagement. How? Consider what you value, and find opportunities to express your values in your work. Help others. Connect.
Meaning isn’t the same as happiness, though. To distinguish between the two, I turned to Scientific American, where a blog comparing them went deeper on this topic. Here’s what I learned:
Meaning and happiness are often correlated, but at times require trade-offs.
Happiness and meaning are intertwined when you feel connected to others and productive.
Happiness and meaning aren’t correlative when you consider health, wealth, ease of life, and more.
Happiness is derived from having our needs met (and sometimes avoiding thinking about difficult things).
Meaning is derived from feeling purposeful.
Overall well-being peaks when we experience both concurrently.
What should we look for in a job to maximize both? Purpose is the primary quality that stands out to me; if you feel purposeful doing your job, that should provide a stable foundation on which to derive meaning. And for happiness, I wish you wonderful colleagues who make you laugh, bake you delicious treats, and otherwise fill your day with joy.