Grammar Punk Blog

Hummingly…Disappointed

I so wanted to add and expound and create my own mini-encyclopedic account of the meeting and mating of hummingbirds this year, but alas, we are hummingbirdless.

Sort of.

She came back. Esme came back.

Kind of.

You may recall (if you tuned in to my hummingbird saga last spring/summer—still available in the archives) that I mentioned that hummingbirds may (or not) revisit past nesting spots, building new nests on top of old, on top of old, like a tall, teeter, something out of Dr. Seuss looking construction. I was so hoping. I also mentioned that hummingbirds are inveterate thieves, sniping spider’s webs, seed pods, bits of carpet and such to build said nests. Well, apparently, they are also smart enough to visit old nests and snatching bits and pieces of old construction to enable the new. Why reinvent the wheel and all that.

It was Esme, I just know it.

I was beyond thrilled, holding my breath as I stood at the window and saw—yes!—a hummingbird flitting about that stretch of ridiculously thin extension cord! “She’s back!” I shrieked—to no one in particular since I was alone in the office at the time. She’s going to build a new nest on top of her old nest and I get to experience the whole thing again.

Not.

The little thief was stealing bits and pieces and snippets and snips of her old nest! Not an easy task, I might add, the old construction having been superb, but Esme is not faint-hearted. She came back over several subsequent days, snatching and tugging until all that is left of the lovely old conical nest is a tattered bit of old spider’s webs, seed pods, and pieces of carpet hanging valiantly onto the wire. Sniff, sniff.

Fine. Glad we could help, Esme. Not!

For those familiar with Grammar Punk, you are aware how passionate, even a little nutty we are, on the subject of words. Because of course that is the what, the why, the how, and the who cares about Grammar. Grammar justifies its stodgy, pedantic, decidedly un-fun reputation by bringing order to that confusing conundrum of possibilities: communication. 

Feh on rules you (certainly your students) say. Rules are for the dull, the timid, the unimaginative. Rules quash the urge for creativity and self-expression. Rules, plain and simple, take all the fun out of things.

We couldn’t agree more.

Well, sort of.

Our main objection is that along the way Grammar has attained the most unfortunate of reputations: Grammar is boring!

Nonsense, we answered emphatically. Grammar, certainly the teaching of it, has merely been…misunderstood. Grammar Punk to the rescue! Because as far as we’re concerned, there is nothing boring about learning to communicate. Which is precisely what this intriguingly weird, oddly entertaining, and endlessly optimistic little blog will be about.

We will be blogging daily. Be sure and check in with us regularly.