“It’s in the way that you use it, boy don’t you know.”

It’s in the Way That You Use It – Eric Clapton (1986)

Dad, Zac and Jayce on a Knox County, IL strip pit – July 8, 2017

I think about it every once in a while, am I a writer or just a guy who likes to write?

Tough to say, kind of depends on the day or the mood. Perhaps not for me to even say at all.

I can say, however, that I am armed with a pen, a clipboard, a keyboard and a computer and I’m not afraid to use ‘em.

I can also say that ever since I developed this writing affliction, spellcheck has given me some grief. You see, I’m a compound word guy and when it comes to outdoor writing there are plenty of terms where me and spellcheck just don’t see eye to eye.

Tacklebox, baitshop, lawnchair, bassboat, baitcaster and so on. Each of those get the old red underline. I disagree and keep them as one word since I have the benefit of being my own editor (bad idea by the way as you can never effectively proofread your own stuff).

However, today’s picture presents an interesting dilemma as you can’t go wrong either way.

On one hand, Papa and my boys are checking out the “livewell” to inspect their catch. And yes, spellcheck has red flagged my spelling even though it’s correct. Per Wikipedia, “A livewell is a tank found on many fishing boats that is used to keep bait and caught fish alive.” Right on, a credible source even, kinda, sorta.

But splitting the word also works just fine in this case as “live well” applies just as well. For the definition of “live well” sure doesn’t get much better than some fresh air, some fishing and guy sharing his love of the outdoors with a couple of his grandkids hovered over the livewell.

So, spellcheck can generally getlost on this blog. While rules certainly serve a purpose, sometimes you’ve got to cast them aside and let sentiment trump syntax and feeling win out over spelling. Thus, as a writer I may never hit the bigtime in my lifetime but I’ll have a goodtime in the meantime. Talk to you later. Troy