This Grammer’s Grammar

Google announced a new level of artificial intelligence to the workplace. Google Docs is introducing a grammar checker. A Fortune article said, “Some of the things that the new grammar checker will scan for include when to use articles like ‘a’ or ‘an’ in a sentence.” I’ve also heard that it will correct common mistakes like there and their or its and it’s. Maybe English professors will just need to teach their students to get close to the right spelling and grammar because “your computer will take it from there.” English 101 might become a three-week course instead of a semester’s worth of work.

My kids and my husband make jokes about my texts and the speed with which I type on my phone. (I’m slow.) I usually write my texts with the same kind of spelling and grammar that I use to write these blog posts. It’s not perfect, but it isn’t a big ol’ mess either! I will occasionally throw in an OMG—but only if the people know I mean “goodness” for the “G.” I’m a big fan of grammar. I had a double major in Elementary Education and English. That, combined with my age, makes me a triple threat in this category. This “grammer” thinks grammar is important!

How will a company know if a person is educated if the HR person is looking at a computer-corrected resume? How will we know if a person is careful with their work if the computer corrects all their spelling errors? Do we really want artificial intelligence, or should we be looking for the real thing?

But, there might be a positive to all of this artificiality in our culture. Maybe people will want to look for the genuine things that matter most.

Compare my parents’ generation, for example, to my kids’. My parents watched Ozzie and Harriet. Harriet vacuumed her home and cooked dinner wearing a pleated cotton dress with pearls. Upon returning home from work, Ozzie’s job was to sit in a chair, read the paper, and have his dinner plate filled by his adoring wife. How genuine was that? My kids watched shows like The Cosby Show or Full House. That was probably a little closer to the truth anyway. Either way, we all learn what is genuine by watching what goes on in our own homes.

Times are changing, but they always have. Every culture moves up and down but always forward. Some things are good and others are bad, but there is one final, promising outcome. God is moving us ahead to something better. I sometimes think times are getting worse while I am microwaving dinner onto the table in about five minutes. The violence seems to be closer to home, but then I think about the pictures I have seen from World Wars I and II. The weather seems to be too hot as I sit in my air-conditioned home. The gas seems too expensive until I look at the car I am putting it in. I worry about getting older until I realize I am getting closer to eternity.

Some things are getting worse and some things are getting better. But the good and bad of progress is all in the way you look at it. My friend sent this clever email. You must read it all the way through. I promise it will be worth it.

Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because, when you take a closer look,
This world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years hear me say that
Today was a good day.
Now…read from bottom to top.

Jesus had a lot go wrong in his life, if you look at his life from an earthly perspective. But this is what Jesus said was true about his life—and ours:

  • “Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life’” (John 8:12).
  • “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2).
  • “They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever” (Revelation 22:4–5).
  • “And he who was seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things new’” (Revelation 21:5).

The point: Hey, y’all . . . be happy.

Things ain’t so bad after all.

How’s that for a little “grammer grammar!”