The Dash

Someone recently asked me if I had ever heard of a dash before, the sarcasm was palpable. My response returned nothing less, 'those horizontal lines I see all the time in books? Nope, never heard of 'em.'

With graduation quickly approaching, this seemingly mundane remark got my gears turning. Truth be told, after four years of college, with a journalism degree no less, I still don't know exactly how to use a dash.

This confusion didn't last long, I generally don't like not knowing things (more to come on this later, I'm sure) I quickly went home and dug out an old style-guide and now I am the proud owner of a new piece of knowledge.

But this got me thinking, what other seemingly mundane things don't I know, understand, comprehend, etc. I like to think of myself as an educated member of this society, but I have no idea how to roast a chicken! To err on the side of sexism (which frequently do), how can I be a twenty-something woman and not know how to roast a chicken! In the old days I would have had a baby in each arm while somehow deftly fixing an elegant meal for my husband and family.

That being said, as I graduate from my apartment in my sleepy/fratty/hippy, little college town and into a similarly small apartment in a slightly less sleepy/fratty/hippy, urban environment, I look forward to learning new skills that hopefully will propel me along my quest to becoming a real-life human.