A Child's Logic

Everyday I use the symbol "@" when I'm filling out appointment cards for patients as they leave. Not because it really saves me much time but because I like the way it looks. I mean, how long does it really take to cross a "t" as opposed to putting a little circle around your "a"? Plus it reminds me of when i was a little kid. Odd, right?

Well, everyone has seen the symbol since they were able to read the keys on a keyboard, whether your first keyboard was a computer or a typewriter you could always see the little "@" above the number two. As a child I always assumed I knew what this symbol meant because only one thing really meant sense. It had to mean AROUND (a-round... as in "a" with a little round circle around it). What the hell else would possible make sense? Plus I always saw it on appointment cards, much like the ones I write out for patients. "Dentist appt. 7/24 @ 12:00" That makes sense, right? No one shows up right at 12:00. You either show up a few minutes early or a few minutes late, but it's AROUND 12:00. That was my child's logic.

I don't know when I found out that it actually meant AT, but I know I was disappointed. AT makes no sense. It's not like AT is a long word that you really need to shorten up is it? It's two letters, for Christ's sake! Even though I know what it really means I still like to think of it as meaning around instead of at. Besides how many of our patients actually show up AT their scheduled time? Oh, around two a month.... and it's usually a fluke. They were running late and just barely managed to show up on time. It's never on purpose, I promise.

That's all. I don't know why I felt the need to post this in a blog, but at least it's not just another boring old chapter in my now obsolete story :P