How Do You Spell It?

Spelling Is the Code of Living

Belated but heartfelt congratulations to Dev Shah, winner of the 2023 National Spelling Bee Championship. High honor for a 14-year old. Applause and admiration to all the participants and to all of the kids who didn’t even make it that far. Hats off to anyone not yet an adult who takes the time to learn the spelling of words. For the rest of us, if you can’t spell it, look up the word and learn the meaning.

Spelling is the code of living for everyone. Some words we use every day, some we may not utter for years, then we come across a word and use it in a sentence. A million more words we likely have never heard, much less see them in writing and how they are spelled. Still, words are a basic function of communication for us humans. Makes spelling words accurately pretty significant, I’d say.

More so in this age of technology, perhaps primarily for some, reading is that quick look at an icon that represents a word or two. Interpret the little image and move on, there are more important things to do. Regrettably, time moving faster doesn’t always allow for studious reading and considering. There is less reaction time and you better get it right. Icons aren’t necessarily bad in this fast-paced kind of living we adhere to these days. But, if you’re behind the wheel and mess up on that left-turn arrow you may get shot at.

Which brings me to the crux of the matter. Road signs. Street signs, crosswalk signs, curve-in-the-road signs and, of course, the infamous Stop sign. We’ve all seen them. Big, flashy red, octagonal-shaped, no-joke signs with giant, all-capped, white letters saying just one word…STOP. Doesn’t say LOOK OUT, BE CAREFUL, SLOW DOWN. No sir, it says STOP.

Definition of Stop

Let’s look it up. To stop is to bring to a halt or standstill, come to a stop. Fairly simple. As a road sign, you are being told to brake your vehicle, come to a complete stop, and then, after checking that pending two- or four-stop dilemma, proceed onward. Let’s review. The sign is spelled S-T-O-P. Spell it out loud, please. It tells us, as drivers, to stop our vehicle.

No extra credit needed. There are no additional words on the sign that clarify the stop, as in ROLLING, CHECK QUICK AND BLOW THROUGH, or ONLY IF YOU WANT TO. If the sign says STOP, that is precisely what you should do. Final analysis? Spell it stop.

Many years ago, cars and trucks didn’t move as fast as they do now. The automobile industry gave us power, lots of it. We can go from 0 to 60 in nothing flat, stop on a dime (if we want to), and outrun any old lady or man out there driving and reliving the good old days.

Just because we have the speed and power to use it, doesn’t mean we should rev it where we are causing danger. We hate speed cameras when we get caught, but we will continue to run red lights at the very last glimpse of yellow, and, perhaps in an act of defiance and self-served importance, we either run or roll through a stop sign like nobody’s business.

Stop signs are everyone’s business. Learn how to spell, learn how to stop. Learn how to spell it stop. For signs that contain lots of words, we likely don’t get a full read until a dozen or so trips by the damn thing. Yet, the road signs, and in particular the Stop signs, are easy to spot, spell and recognize. We all know and understand road signs because our driver’s license says we studied for and passed the test to get the right to drive.

Accidents and Death

Engineers are often given a bum rap as nerdy individuals who think they are always right. I’ve worked with many engineers over the years and much of that assessment is true. However, engineers are also intelligent people who accomplish difficult tasks. Specifically, engineers who help in getting the roads built, know exactly how fast or slow a vehicle should take a turn in the road, how to siphon traffic this way or that to keep it flowing. They also know where to put the stop signs.

Stop signs were first used in Michigan in 1915 and have been with us ever since. From square-shaped, yellow signs, the stop sign has evolved into its current octagon shape and red, reflective color with white lettering. We can see it from a distance and we can see it at night. We are alerted to stop on red by a stop sign as much as a red light. Both mean stop.

All we need to do now is learn how to spell.

Everyone knows how red lights get put up at intersections. Heavy traffic is a certain marker, as well as accidents and death. If enough people die navigating a stop sign, the transportation folks change a stop sign to a red light. Then, more people complain, red lights are challenged with a fast move under a yellow light and accidents and death keep occurring.

Easier Than You Think

Look, people. Whether a quick glance or a thoughtful perusal, we read all of the time. Words and symbols. From the time we wake till the opposite occurs, we read. Books, notes, weather reports, signs on the road, stock activity, bills, which bathroom to tend to, menus, web sites, you name it.

We don’t all have to be like Dev Shah and learn how to spell any word put in front of us. We don’t have to worry about dyslexia or other mental ailments that might impact our abilities to spell like a pro. For the stop sign, all we have to do is look at it and know what we have to do. Technically, once we abide by the stop sign, we don’t have to spell it. Of course, if we can pass a driving test and spell or recognize common road signs and the like, we should be able to spell S-T-O-P.

For the lazy or impatient driver who rolls through a stop sign, spelling is a hindrance to their day. These are the people whose minds roamed during grammar and spelling lessons at school. These same people keep their minds on Points A and B and any time spent in between has to be done fast. These are the people who have so many errands to do, they would rather folks get out of their way while they accomplish them. And, yes, these are the people who continue to talk and text on their cell phones telling their friends and loved ones how busy they are.

If you can’t read too well, that’s okay. There are many remedial services offered that can help there. As for stop signs, there is no excuse. If you can’t read the words, you full well know what the sign means. And if you still can’t figure it out, you shouldn’t be driving.

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