Waltzing Ma~

You've probably noticed that I use a tilde (~) in my punctuation.  Sometimes it replaces a colon, sometimes a dash ~ it depends on whether it fits or not.

My clothing-swap friend Kim uses it in her e-mail and I thought it looked like a feminine flourish so I started using it in my writing.  And I don't just use it here, I use it in other personal e-mails (to friends who do not know about Meg) and at work.

I think it's time to start a movement.  If we all started using ~ instead of - or : (where it feels right, of course), we'll have a way to identify more kindred souls.  If someone sends you an e-mail which says "don't forget ~ we have a meeting at 11" write back: "that's unusual.  I never met anyone else who uses tilde's in their e-mails!  Where'd you pick that up?"  And if he writes back "Meg uses it in her blog," well, then you know.  And maybe it'll soon be a bunch of other t-blogs, but you'll know.

I've been looking for a "secret handshake" and some have proposed things like wearing a rubber band on your wrist on certain days, but if you do, then anyone who knows about that, knows.  This is more like a sign/countersign to identify friends or foes in wartime.

Someone: uses tilde
You: cute.  Where'd you get the tilde?
Someone: I saw it in [some female name]'s blog

Bingo!

If you're a blogger, and you think this might work, and you're going to add it to your writing, please let me know!  I would love for this to spread!  I'd feel like I finally made a contribution to our society.

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