Does spelling count?

         When I waz a kid, I skipt skool a lot and nevr learnd to rite or spell good. (Actually, I learned how to spell the word ‘good’ because it rhymed with shood.)  I usually skipt on Mondays and Fridays. On Mondays, the teacher assined the new list of spelling words to studee for the week and on Friday, we had the test. But I was usually abcent. The other kidz made fun of me and the more fun they made, the more I skipt.

          Sometimes when I was in skool, the teacher would tell us we had to rite  something. The little blond hair girl who sat in front of me would always raise her hand and ask, “Does spelling count?” The other kidz would laff and I would slide down in my chair trying to hide under my desk.

         One day someone said to me, “Do not worry if you can not spell well. Someday there will be a machine that will correct all of your spelling mistakes. The machine will be called a computer and it will have something called spell check.”

          “Wow,” I said and decided at that point that I would just drop out and wait for this new machine. It was two hard to learn to spell and the other kidz just made fun of me anyhow.

           Time passed and I grew older. That person who told me about spell check was right. The computer, with spell check, did correct my spelling errors although I think the machine was sometimes overwhelmed even by my mistakes. But I began to realize that how I spelled, spoke and wrote was as important as how I dressed or combed my hair. I began to understand why the kids made fun of me. They thought I was stupid. But I really wasn’t.

          This is not necessarily a true story, although spelling was difficult for me. But the feelings and emotions expressed are felt by many who struggle with poor spelling and are made fun of in school.

          Does spelling count? You bet it does! How you speak, write and spell tells just as much about you as what you wear or where you live. Misspellings on a resume, job application or cover letter will not go unnoticed and can mean the difference between getting an interview or not.

           The other day I received a letter in the mail. Although it was a form letter and had been mailed to many others including me explaining some changes in an insurance policy, it contained two very obvious spelling errors. Does spelling count?  You bet it does! What happened to the spell check?

          What really concerns me is the shift to texting. Shortened phrases and abbreviations are rapidly taking the place of complete sentences and correct spelling. Can you imagine texting a cover letter for a job application?

          Don’t get me wrong. I am still  not the perfect 'speller'. Learning to spell words correctly is difficult for many. It takes time and practice. No shortcuts here. It requires study, study and more study.

          Now, if only I had only spent more time in school on Mondays and Fridays, perhaps I would know how to add and subtract better too.