69. "Now we're writing again, and that's great."

"Not so many years ago, e-mail was brand new. When it first came out, many teachers and writers were concerned that the informal way people write e-mails would have a bad effect on people's writing in general. However, before e-mail, people rarely wrote letters and almost always used the phone to communicate with each other. Now we're writing again, and that's great."

From "Painless Grammar" by Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D., Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

68. "What is the difference between the way students write and the way professionas write?"

"What is the difference between the way students write and the way professionas write?

Easy question--here is the difference:

Average student: write it, hand it in

Above-average student: write it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Exceptional student: write it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Professional writer: write it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, edit it, rewrite it, hand it in

Good writing is 20 percent inspiration and 80 percent cleanup."


From "Painless Grammar" by Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D., published by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

67. "Even worse than lots of exclamation points are double exclamation points!!"

"Some people use exclamation points all the time! Every single sentence is so excited it jumps for joy! Nothing looks sillier than a paragraph like this! Even worse than lots of exclamation points are--oh, no, not those!!--double exclamation points!! In formal writing, never (and I do mean never!!) use double exclamation points! In fact, don't use many exclamation points at all. Not every sentence you write is exciting enough to deserve an exclamation point, and too many make your reader tired."

From "Painless Grammar" by Rebecca Elliott, Ph.D., published by Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

66. "Many people caring for an aged parent wish that their parent would die."

Many people caring for an aged parent wish, at some point along the way, that their parent would die. It may be a fleeting thought or a constant presence. Either way, it can be very disturbing.

If you are hoping that your father will die soon because he is terminally ill and his existence is pretty miserable, then you shouldn't have any guilt about such thoughts. They are normal and, in most cases, merciful.

The trouble comes when you are wishing that your parent would die because he is overbearing, because he is a burden, because you want an inheritance, or because you are simply tired of waiting and wondering. In other words, you want him to die not for his sake, but for yours. This is a common and natural reaction, but it is jolting when the thought first comes into your mind, and it can produce a great deal of guilt and shame.

Caring for a frail parent, even if you are not providing hands-on care, is draining on many levels. Since there is really no other possible outcome, it is natural to want the struggle to end, for everybody's sake. You are not a bad person for feeling this way. You are only human."

From "How to Care for Aging Parents" written by Virginia Morris and published by Workman Publishing Company, Inc.

65. "Don't blame the other person for how you feel."

We encourage you to epress yourself -- and to take responsibility for your feelings; don't blame the other person for how you feel. Note the difference in the ... example between "I'm upset" and "You're an S.O.B." It is not necessary to put the other person down ... in order to express your feelings.... Use "I-messages" to express your own feelings, rather than passing responsibility for how you feel to someone else. Your feelings are yours."

From "Your Perfect Right" by Robert Alberti, Ph.D., and Michael Emmons, Ph.D., published by Impact Publishers.

64. "Swim on by and enjoy your day."

"Pass by the hooks. Find ways to ignore those little comments or looks that make you so hopping mad. Pretend you are a fish swimming along a mountain stream on a beautiful day and that you spot a fat, scrumptious worm. It lures you, but you are no dummy. You know that there's a big, sharp hook behind it. You have two choices: Bite at the hook and get hurt, or swim on by and enjoy your day.

Next time your parent says something that makes your blood pressure rise, say to yourself, "Aha, that is a hook, and as much as I am drawn to it, I have no intention of biting." Swim on by. Count how many hooks you pass by (one is awfully good) and then try to do better the next time. It will be your own inner victory. With each hook you pass, unfazed and unaffected, you win."

From "How to Care for Aging Parents" by Virginia Morris, Workman Publishing, Ner York

63. "Winning usually follows losing."

"In my own life, I've noticed that winning usually follows losing. Before I finally learned to ride a bike, I first fell down many times. I've never met a golfer who has never lost a golf ball. I've never met people who have fallen in love who have never had their heart broken. And I've never met someone rich who has never lost money."

From "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" by Robert T. Kiyosaki with Sharon L. Lechter C.P.A., Warner Books