Elliptical thinking…

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You may have noticed that I frequently use ellipses—three dots in a row—as part of my writing style. (I am also indebted to em dashes [–] to bracket my digressions.) Both punctuation conventions can raise eyebrows among highbrow writers—I am not worthy of that designation—as excuses for less-than-adequate writing. I understand that opinion, and try to keep my use of these devices to a lowbrow minimum.

Something else is going on, I must admit. I want my writing to feel more like a conversation between us, an informal back-and-forth that replicates some of the elements of spoken personal interchange. (In my own mind, I am a friendly guy who must nevertheless prove that to cherished readers….)

I also use the ellipse as one way to show readers that my thoughts trail off—that they’re not quite yet finished. There’s more to be said, but I ran out of time or ink. Ellipses also signal that we could keep going with this conversation—actually just the start of a conversation—if we were face-to-face.

Besides wanting to illustrate my command of obscure writing tools—Yes, I am in total command of this computer’s Grammar Police functions—I want to remember the benefits of longer conversations and longer streams of thought. Some of us luxuriate in our continual musings about cherished subjects, dear friends or spiritual matters. At this time in our older adult lives, extended thought—much like “praying without ceasing”—might also describe our sense of self or our daily routines.

By the use of ellipses—especially at the end of entries—I also want to encourage you to continue your inner conversations about what we start here.

To live thoughtfully, and to rejoice in arcane punctuation….

 

 

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About the author

Bob Sitze

BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.

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By Bob Sitze

Bob Sitze

BOB SITZE has filled the many years of his lifework in diverse settings around the United States. His calling has included careers as a teacher/principal, church musician, writer/author, denominational executive staff member and meat worker. Bob lives in Wheaton, IL.

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