It's A Good Life!

I feel dirty when I do it.  I know it’s wrong but I feel compelled.  Exclamation marks.  I loathe them.  Rarely does somebody speak in such emphatic tones.  It just seems there’s no grey area when it comes to that particular punctuation.  It’s either calm speech or yelling.  Maybe there should be a middle ground mark. 

The reason I bring it up has to do with work emails.  Since the written word generally comes with no markers for playfulness, business emails often come across like they were written by robots (ahem, I’m not saying, just saying).  So instead, people litter them with exclamation marks so the receiver is aware they are not upset.  It makes me write emails like this.

            Good morning!

Blah blah serious blah blah cost basis, blah blah not our responsibility, blah blah, let me know if you need anything else. 

                                                Thanks, Jenny!

Maybe this is because people are so sensitive or waiting to be angered that we have to walk on eggshells all the time.  To me, it feels like handling that Twilight Zone kid who got whatever he wanted.  When people would talk to him, they would reinforce that whatever he was doing was a good thing.  “That’s good that this is the twelfth email I have sent you on this topic!  I don’t get tired of writing this over and over at all!  In fact, you can disregard this message if you are too busy!  I’ll just send another when I think enough time has passed!  Thanks!  Buh Bye!”

  

So take the chip off your shoulder, people.  Let’s leave the exclamation mark where it belongs:  Behind rants and in student fiction.  And don’t even get me started on ;) and CAPS LOCK.