There are details in a life that become unnecessary focuses.

That become unnecessary foci.

That become feesees that don’t need to be.

That, even, become feces.

(What’s the plural of focus, anyway?)

And….how do you use a comma?

Maybe “focus” is the wrong word. Maybe “fear” is a better one.

Some of this stuff is a lesson learned early….some of it is learned and then questioned for a lifetime….like how, quietly, in the back of my private mind, I’m sometimes wondering, “Is that what they called a ‘comma splice’? This is going to be pretty darn embarrassing if that’s a comma splice. Is that a comma splice?”

It makes you not even want to try….worrying about the mistakes that you make because you either don’t remember or don’t understand.

Of course, that’s not me. I’ve heard that other people are nervous about things like that…..but…that’s not me.

I guess that a solution might be to just stick with what you know….and write sentences that don’t need commas.

That might be a good solution….to just avoid situations where you don’t have to use questionably underdeveloped grammar skills.

Don’t go out on a limb.

Don’t use commas.

Don’t even get me started on the semi-colon.

Ah, what the heck? You’re either competent and productive….or scared and bound up….too sure that you’ll make a mistake if you even try….too nervous about embarrassing outcomes to even put a brush to canvas or your fingers on a keyboard.

That’s probably why I majored in art.

It’s hard to tell if you don’t really know how to use a comma if you paint a picture without words.

(People avoid certain social situations because they can’t remember which fork is the one to use for their salad!)

It’s a kooky world.

Maybe it’s best to just scratch it all down…let the words float out and land somewhere….google “how to use a comma” and stop worrying about form?

Nah….art….writing….to not pay attention to form is just another laziness.

Everything follows form.

Look at nature…..it’s all about form.

I need to relearn some grammar.

It’d be mo’bettah to learn me some grammar.

When you get down to it, the real stuff is always still there, though.

That dam is still broke….and the water and the fish are gone….and now the old pond is just a mud pit with a river in the center.

I think that it’s moving from the “you can’t change what is” corner of my world to the “man….that really sucks” corner.

It’s a drag when a dam bursts.

Back to this comma thing….just for a moment.

A person lives and works….lays it all out there….and, sometimes….makes mistakes…..and….sometimes….makes something a little more victorious than a mistake.

What am I ever going to accomplish if I plan to never make a mistake?

What a waste….to live a life so carefully.

What a crummy excuse for living….to be afraid, of using, a comma…..incorrectly,.

Sometimes, you just need to enjoy a really good egg sandwich….and leave the rest alone.