What makes me a proofreader/editor/etc.?

After yesterday's post, I received several notes in my mail box and Dawn (the brave soul) commented below.

What makes me good at the above-listed? I can spell, for one. I excel at knowing where punctuation is SUPPOSED to be (as in, I'm one of those people who doesn't have to guess at where to put the comma and I know how and when to use a semi-colon). I recognize that the "grammar check" available in Word, Works, etc. isn't always correct, and I can recognize those instances. I have mastered the whole "maintaining a tense" that seems to be so troubling to people. I have a large vocabulary and can use it. What makes me even more effective with these particular books is the fact that I have a very strong grasp on the concepts and subject matter. And I love doing all of it.

I love taking our language apart and then putting it back together. I have had arguments over commas, over spacing, and over proper citation. This is what excites me. An auto-mechanic loves building, re-building, and fixing autos. I love doing this with the written text.

These, dear reader, are only a few of the reasons that I do what I do.

That said, this is my blog. It is more of a diary-type outlet. Things will be (and have been) misspelled, mis-punctuated, etc. Just because I sound like an illiterate idiot on my blog doesn't mean that I am. This is the one area of my life where I am not anal retentive. At least most of the time.