“It’s quite helpful to talk with you rather than just knowing what I read in your application essay. I think it gives us a fuller picture of who you are.”
“Of course. Essays you can backspace.”
This was the dialogue exchanged between one of my fellow interviewers and one of the applicants. I stopped and wrote her words down. They are profound. Truly, it is one of the things I love most about writing. I can craft, perfect, and hone each phrase before publishing. And even then I can re-edit if I wish. I express myself best with time and typing.
Whereas, I constantly second guess my communication verbally. Every time I make an announcement or educate a patient or speak publicly in any way, I ruminate over my words and think about how I could have said it better. It’s infuriating at times! I wish I had ample time to craft a perfect response. But I have to think on the spot, respond to the best of my abilities, and keep going.
Life is more like speaking than writing. Life doesn’t have a backspace.
Yes, there are apologies and forgiveness. There is healing. But that is different than erasing the existence of an event. Even with healing there is often a scar. So how do we live in the ever flowing current of life knowing that each word counts and there is no backspace, no Control-Z option?