Dear Friend,

Here is my formal written complaint to you.

Thank you!

I might roll my eyes when you correct me. I might continue to be a thorn in your side for my uneducated moments. And I might even yell at you for correcting me. But I just want you to know one thing no matter how our conversation may go and no matter how I react when you correct me. I want you to know how grateful I am.

I may not say it right away. I may not have ever said it to your face. But I truly am thankful for you. I realize that when you’re correcting me I’m learning to be a better person. You’re spending your mental energy to teach me something I might not necessarily know and that is inspiring.

Yeah, I know using proper grammar doesn’t actually mean I’m a better person, what am I the corniest person on the planet? (Yes I am, I mean look at my cover photo, I think I'm hilarious.) But seriously, improved grammar, spelling, punctuation, etc. does change the way I communicate and write, and that’s very important to me, therefore changing my life. And I know that maybe telling me one time that I said something offensive doesn’t mean I’m perfect and fully educated. But it does mean that I’m still learning to be better and I take everything you say into consideration.

Thank you for correcting me even when I’ve just woken up and I can barely form a sentence. There is no time of the day when I should be able to get away with saying or doing something inappropriate.

Thank you for using your precious time and energy to say to me, “Hey Shannon, that’s not right,” because now I’ve learned something new or I fixed myself. I don’t get to walk around all day thinking that I might have been right. Whether it was saying “that many sticky notes” instead of “that much sticky notes” or whether I said something morally and ethically wrong.

Just because I’m a college student doesn’t mean I deserve to be educated when I make a mistake, but you take your time to educate me if I need it. And I appreciate that. I don’t want to walk around spelling things wrong or putting a comma in the wrong spot. (Everyone knows I still have that problem to this day.)

If I make a joke that is hurtful and insensitive you will tell me immediately that I need to cut the sh*t. Honestly, I think that’s a part of what true friendship is. You could let me go off running my unaware mouth, making silent enemies left and right, but instead, you put me in place and remind me that although I like to think it, I am not always right.

Thank you. Even if you don’t think your intentions sound sincere. Even if you're doing it more to be snarky than anything else. Even if it’s your best intentions and I get mad or don’t listen. Even if it's just to be annoying. Either way, thank you. You’re my best critic and my best teacher.

Thank you to anyone who takes time out of their day, time out of their life and time out of their precious moments to educate someone when they need it most. I like to think that the little moments are important because, in that little moment, you can change someone’s whole perspective on something, be it on a way they say something or the way they treat someone.

So if I haven’t said it enough: thank you! Educators, teachers, decent human beings that correct people, and you my friend, you are appreciated. Keep doing your thing. There are people out there who appreciate constantly learning. And that’s what it’s all supposed to mean, a moment to learn.

All my best,

Shannon