What a Gun Carrying Panda Has To Do With Getting Better

I'm reading this book before bed.

It's a book about grammar. Sounds ravishing, doesn't it? (Should I put the comma there or not?) Although, who doesn't like the idea of a panda with a gun?

I hate grammar. Pretty much all type B personalities do. Type A's love grammar just so they can stick to us B's.

I've always struggled with punctuation. Which stinks if you write a blog.

This has been reaffirmed by my language arts teachers grades kindergarten through twelfth and again in a 300 level course in college.

In the early days of Christian Gravy (and back when I blogged at www.joelball.org), my wife proofread everything that I wrote. She never complained and was always supportive, but she had better things to do (like pinning stuff on Pinterest).

I knew if writing was a long-term goal, I was going to have to stop depending on someone else to do my work.

So what did I do? I began proofreading my own posts.

It takes me somewhere around 30 minutes to write a post. It takes me up to an hour and a half to edit one. It hasn't been easy. And I have been busting my butt.

I reread a post about 25 times before I hit "publish". I'm constantly hanging out at grammar online sites. Most grammarians are kind, but there are a few Grammar Nazis to watch out for. I'm reading a book about grammar (that is actually spellbinding). I edit A-list celebrities' tweets on Twitter for practice. I even got a semi-colon tattooed on my lower back and a question mark beside a large lone patch of hair on my right shoulder blade.

I'm trying...nay, I'm working on becoming a better a writer. It's not fun. I detest it. I prefer to slap it down and hand it off. But there isn't growth in that.

Question:
How are you trying to improve on something in your life?

*Disclaimer: Lacey gladly edits any post that I ask her to. She did not edit this one. If there is a mistake, Grammar Nazis may email me at joelball@christiangravy.com and I will fix it.