July 13

It's no secret that I'm picky and have an eye for detail. I'm meticulous about many things, and I have a laser eye that homes in on errors, omissions, and the just plain stupid. Combined with my occasionally-blunt nature and strongly-held opinions, this makes some interactions with people less than productive.

Fortunately, my friends have learned to accept these traits about me, in the same vein that I've learned to shut up occasionally and not spout my instant appraisal of things if somebody's feelings may be hurt. It's a good combination.

Sometimes, though, being the bastard described above can have its benefits. My friend Julie is applying to graduate school, and she's enlisted me to help proofread and edit her written application materials. I made sure to ask first before I really ripped into her stuff, and even though it is well-written, I still managed a page and a half of handwritten notes before I put fingers to keyboard to write up my recommendations.

And for what it's worth, I was careful to preface my comments to her, so she wouldn't think I thought she'd written complete crap. :-)

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