Thoughts Along the Path . . .

Typos. We all make them, we all see them. Sometimes we wonder what the writer meant, or we may wonder why it wasn’t corrected already. Sometimes we don’t know it is a typo, and sometimes it is so obvious that we even laugh about it.

Recently an out-of-town friend emailed me about getting together while she was nearby. When she wrote that she was “now” available on Thursdays I proposed a Thursday lunch date. She then realized her typo – she had meant to say she was “not” available on Thursdays.

A couple of days ago I sent a text message to another friend to let them know that I would arrive in about “50 minutes.” Fortunately, before I sent the message I noticed that auto-correct had changed the word “minutes” to “minutiae.” Since that word means “the small, precise, or trivial details of something” I still wonder why auto-correct thought I had meant to say I would arrive somewhere in “50 small details.”

As a newspaper columnist for over 17 years as well as a book author, I know as well as anyone that sometimes typos seem to creep in on their own. Even a book written by the best-known authors, edited by skilled professionals, almost always (some sources say up to 99% of the time) end up being published with at least one typo, most likely more than one.

Years ago I read somewhere that hand woven carpets from some countries always had at least one error intentionally incorporated into the making. The reason was to honour the idea that humans are imperfect and therefore what we create is also imperfect. I have since learned this is an “urban myth,” but I think there is some wisdom within it anyway.

Humans are indeed flawed, we all are. That doesn’t keep us from trying to improve ourselves as personal development is part of who we are. Perhaps more importantly, recognizing our own imperfections can remind us to be forgiving of others. They too are imperfect, well-meaning, and deserving of compassion.

What if we were to think of typos and human flaws as being similar in their essence? Both remind us that imperfection is part of being human. A typo is not a failure; it is a signal that something needs another look. In the same way, our flaws can invite patience, humility, and the willingness to keep improving.

Life is a process, and much like writing, we are often living a first draft of who we are. Our mistakes can help us notice patterns: where we need to slow down, where we need to pay more attention, and where we can be more careful. With each revision, we may also become more confident in our daily living. As stated by French writer/philosopher Voltaire: “Perfection is attained by slow degrees; it requires the hand of time.”

To test my ideas about typos, I submitted an early unedited draft of this column to A.I. for comments. Much to my amusement, it pointed out the irony: a column about typos ought to be especially careful about typos. Perhaps that is the real lesson. We can aim for accuracy, ask for help, go one more round in whatever it is we are doing – and still accept that an imperfection may remain. This quotation from the Baha’i Writings sums it up nicely: “Perfection will never be reached, but great, and ever greater, progress can be made.” I do hope I have corrected any and all typos in this month’s column. And I hope your projects are progressing perfectly well, too.

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Submitted to Ayr News by Jaellayna Palmer September 2026