The letter P is so phenomenal. I mean, have you ever considered all the happy words that have the letter P in them?
My keyboard recently could not perform to it’s perfectionist self. I had never thought of what a perfectionist my keyboard was until it suddenly kept performing the wrong keystrokes. I had completely taken my keyboard for granted.
Most prominently, it no longer could type the letter P.
I would type away, my fingers flying over the keyboard with all the things to say when I would come across a P word.
And then I would suddenly remember I can not use the letter P because my screen would shut down or code would suddenly type itself or it would randomly decide to mute the music I was not listening to in the first place. I would then pine for a thesaurus because I would have to come up with a whole new set of words.
I looked at my old typewriter. I tried to imagine the perplexed look I would get if I handed in old fashioned typed columns. But as I have the only computer in our household, I have been perplexed on what to do.
One night I dreamed of a book my dad read to me as child. I believe it was called “Pickle Things” by Marc Brown. The book explains all the things that could be a pickle. I was sad to think I could not type about that pickle book.
The letter P was permeating my life.
Here is an example of my hardship: I have wanted to write a column on blueberry picking. Did you know that the spell check on computers finds Icking a word? It is! Icking is some place in Germany. And it also can mean unjustified criticism.
Well, now you know that bit of information. May you find a game or crossword where Icking will perform well for you.
I usually could come up with some word to get my meaning across without using the letter P or spell check would be kind and spell the word correctly. I was sure it was just the humid weather wreaking havoc on the computer and it would surely heal itself. At least that is what I hoped.
This happy thought of my computer fixing itself did not happen.
It would not spell the word Picking.
And what am I going to write about then? “Blueberry Gathering?” That sounds like I am attempting to twirl my fancy dressed up self and call out to the blueberries to gather into my bucket like I am some princess in an enchanted blueberry patch.
And so I have been stumped. The last time my computer worked correctly was when I last sent my columns in to be published for you. My persistent research on what to do was only perplexing me more.
Until the day I saw a woman wearing a pretty dress waiting for an empty picnic table so she could partake of her dinner with her friends.
“Ma’am,” I gushed, “I love your dress. It’s perfect for today!”
“Thank you,” she answered, pleased as punch, “I just purchased it. I found it at Target.”
My husband and I stopped at Target the very next day so I could purchase that pretty summer dress as well. And oh happy day, I happened to find a guy who knew how to help my perplexing keyboard dilemma. “Here is a keyboard for ten dollars. It may just get you by. You’ll have to do some kind of programming but it may just work.”
It worked. The first letter I typed was the beautiful letter P. I cheered. I ran through the house shouting “I HAVE THE LETTER P!”
Perhaps my family finds me crazy, but if I could hug the letter P today, I promise you I would. What an underrated letter that letter P is. May its purpose in your words perpetuate your speech today.
Oh, how happy I am to be using the letter P again as I plunk away at these $10 keys!
“Blueberry Picking” column coming at you next!
