Everyday PR

I’m one of those people who interprets words in their most literal definition, which can be good or bad if you write for a living. Case in point:  A friend tells me about her part in a play about the Old South and says, “Everything will be fine as long as we take care of the black dishwasher in the back.” For the life of me, I could not understand what an appliance could possibly have to do with anything.

To my writing colleagues, I pray you’re not afflicted with TWTOL (Translating Words Too Literally) Syndrome. Although TWTOL can date back to childhood (I remember being strapped in the back of the station wagon on the family vacation, and my parents told me to keep my eyes peeled for a Dairy Queen – I started crying at the thought of peeling eyes), I’ve learned to work with it and around it. I even credit TWTOL with some of my professional writing abilities, especially in regard to projects like speeches and internal communications. For instance, there’s no such thing as a free cholesterol screening if the employee has to pay for the results (seems obvious to me, but some CEOs just don’t get it). Then again, I’m the person who goes into all-out panic mode if the Bible says you must wear a purple robe to get into heaven, as in what shade of purple –  light purple, dark purple, something in between?  Should the robe be floor length or cocktail length, short sleeves or long sleeves? It never ends.

If you also have TWTOL Syndrome, take advantage of your literal perspective on words and weave that into your writing. And above all, have fun with it!  My literal sense of translation has provided me countless moments of both laughter and embarrassment. Like the time I saw the sign that said “Watch Batteries Repaired.”  Since I needed a new battery for my watch, I went inside the store. When the clerk took my watch to the back I called out with genuine disappointment in my voice  ”But I thought I could watch.”

I don’t see a change any time soon. By “see,” I mean “predict,” not “visualize.”