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Do Words Really Matter?

A classified ad appeared in a small town newspaper one Monday morning:

FOR SALE: R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale.  Phone 958 after 7 P.M. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him cheap.

On Tuesday, the following appeared:

NOTICE: We regret in having erred in R.D. Jones. Ad yesterday.  It should have read: One sewing machine for sale.  Cheap.  Call 958 and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him after 7 P.M..

On Wednesday:

R.D. Jones has informed us that he has received several annoying phone calls because of the error e made in his classified ad yesterday.  His ad stands corrected as follows: FOR SALE: R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale.  Cheap.  Phone 958 after 7 P.M.. And ask for Mrs. Kelley who loves with him.

On Thursday:


NOTICE: I, R.D. Jones, Have no sewing machine for sale.  I smashed it.  Don’t call 958 as my telephone had been taken out.  I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Kelley.  Until yesterday she was my housekeeper, but she quit.  –Dr. Shulamit Elster

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“Between 1305 and the early 1800’s. the House of Taxis ran a form of pony express service all over Europe….   Its couriers clad in blue and silver uniforms, crisscrossed the continent carrying messages between princes and generals, merchants and money lenders.” –Alvin Toffler, The Third Wave We may think we are the first generation consumed by rapid communication but we are not.   Throughout our history it has been a priority. Of course, now in the 21 st century we must ask: are we better or worse for it?