Me and My Exclamation Mark - An Inseparable Pair!!!

Those of you who have been reading my articles for a while may have noted that I have a certain, shall we say ‘fondness’ for using exclamation marks. Well, okay, I’ll admit it’s probably a bit more than a fondness; it’s probably closer to an addiction.

In my defence, I don’t feel I can express myself properly unless I throw in the appropriate ‘feeling’. And how can I do that without incorporating my favourite piece of punctuation -- the good old exclamation mark?

When I’m telling you something funny it often ends with an exclamation mark. Ha ha! Something amazing or dramatic ends with an exclamation mark. Ooh! Aah! In fact, pretty much my whole life is punctuated with exclamation marks. New job! New book! Joined the gym! Watched the ice-skating! Read a book! Put out the garbage!

Let’s face it, I think and speak with exclamation marks hanging all over my sentences! So therefore it’s inevitable (and not unreasonable to my way of thinking) to carry this over into my written work. But unfortunately not everyone sees it this way; in particular editing-type people.

I was reminded of this last week when I was invited to submit an article to an online debating site. It was a ‘semi-humorous’ article -- in that, while it was a little tongue in cheek, it also contained a serious message. The humorous bits were appropriately ‘exclamation marked’ to ensure that everyone got the joke.

Well, anyway, before it went to print the Editor asked if I minded if she ‘pruned’ some of my exclamation marks and I said okay.

Well, she pruned alright! Hacked to death might be a better term. If I was a rose bush I would have been reduced to a gnarly stork for, by the time she’d finished there was no trace of my personality, let alone any inference of humour. Naturally this resulted in some less than happy ‘comments’ when the debate got going.

“Is she joking?” squawked one disgruntled reader.

“Well ….yes, actually” I wanted to write back, but I had to forgive ‘Angry from Parkville’ for how was he to know I was taking the Mickey when there was no happy little exclamation mark to highlight my hilarity?

As I re-read the article (post hack) I could quite see how people had taken some of it the wrong way. Without my exclamation marks, I certainly sounded more like a smug smart alec than a good-natured observer of human nature who was having a friendly poke at the Baby Boomer generation (to which, I hasten to add, I belong).

I later found that the article in question had not only been aired here in Australia, but had found its way onto a Japanese website where they appear to have translated my words into Japanese and then back again in a very amusing fashion. It had also ended up on a website in North Carolina, USA. (I would normally have included an exclamation mark here, but I'm trying to abstain).

I just hope my international readers managed to find something funny about the article even without its exclamation marks. Otherwise I can see the headlines now:

“Australian article bores entire state of North Carolina to death! It’s just not funny,” survivors say.

Well anyway, in acknowledgement of my addiction to the humble Exclamation Mark I am now considering seeking out a 12 Step “Punctuators Anonymous” program. Can you just see me introducing myself at my first session?

“Hi, I’m Catherine! I’m a serial punctuator and I just love using exclamation marks!!!”

(I sure hope they can help!!!!!!!!!)