A Year of Blogging: October 16, 2011

October 16 is 'Dictionary Day'. It is a day to honor Noah Webster, considered the founder of the American Dictionary. Noah Webster was born on October 16, 1758. For writers, there are a few required books. They are the tools of our trade. Every writer should have a dictionary and a thesaurus. I have used both for many years. In fact, one of my most prized books is the Webster's Dictionary I won my Junior year in high school. I won the Williams' College award for English, and the prize was a hardcover Webster's dictionary, with a purple cover emblazoned with the Williams College logo. Williams College is a four year, private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. It is about half an hour from my childhood home. It is also currently one of the top schools in the country. In today's Internet age, I think people are lacking in dictionary skills. They are so used to using spell-check that they've forgotten how to look up a word in the dictionary. Or they are so used to using an online dictionary, that most people probably don't even own a hard copy. I think that's a shame. I remember learning in elementary school how to use a dictionary. Once I learned about a thesaurus, I couldn't wait to get my hands on one. I was so happy to finally buy one, I felt like I had everything I needed. (How things have changed!) The best way to celebrate today is to dust off your own dictionary and thumb through it, discovering new words. If you don't own a dictionary then you should get yourself to the nearest book store immediately.