What a beautiful metaphor, using mirrors to show how distorted reflections shape our self-image. I especially loved the moment in the secondhand shop, there’s something quietly powerful about choosing a mirror that makes you laugh rather than flinch. Have you ever thought of expanding this into a short illustrated story?
The em dash — unruly, versatile, and impossible to ignore — has earned a reputation as the rebel of punctuation. In recent times, it’s been eyed with suspicion, often dismissed as a calling card of AI-generated text. And perhaps, in some cases, it is. But let’s not be too hasty. There are still plenty of human writers — flesh-and-blood enthusiasts of rhythm and interruption — who adore the em dash, and use it with abandon.
For us — and yes, I count myself among them — the em dash is more than a pause; it’s a personality. It doesn’t whisper like a comma or bracket itself in like parentheses. It barges in — confidently, casually — and keeps the sentence rolling without breaking stride. It’s punctuation with swagger.
Of course, purists will say it's often unnecessary — that it muddles structure or hijacks clarity. Fair. But writing isn’t always about precision. Sometimes, it’s about voice — and the em dash sings like nothing else. Whether to build suspense, drop in a sly aside, or simply avoid yet another semicolon, it gets the job done — even when it doesn’t have to.
So before we condemn every dash-happy paragraph as the work of a bot, let’s remember: some of us just like to write that way — excessively, unapologetically, and dashingly human.
What a beautiful metaphor, using mirrors to show how distorted reflections shape our self-image. I especially loved the moment in the secondhand shop, there’s something quietly powerful about choosing a mirror that makes you laugh rather than flinch. Have you ever thought of expanding this into a short illustrated story?
Thank you so much! I am really happy you liked it!
I will give the possibility of expanding it a thought, thank you for the suggestion!
In Praise of the Em Dash
The em dash — unruly, versatile, and impossible to ignore — has earned a reputation as the rebel of punctuation. In recent times, it’s been eyed with suspicion, often dismissed as a calling card of AI-generated text. And perhaps, in some cases, it is. But let’s not be too hasty. There are still plenty of human writers — flesh-and-blood enthusiasts of rhythm and interruption — who adore the em dash, and use it with abandon.
For us — and yes, I count myself among them — the em dash is more than a pause; it’s a personality. It doesn’t whisper like a comma or bracket itself in like parentheses. It barges in — confidently, casually — and keeps the sentence rolling without breaking stride. It’s punctuation with swagger.
Of course, purists will say it's often unnecessary — that it muddles structure or hijacks clarity. Fair. But writing isn’t always about precision. Sometimes, it’s about voice — and the em dash sings like nothing else. Whether to build suspense, drop in a sly aside, or simply avoid yet another semicolon, it gets the job done — even when it doesn’t have to.
So before we condemn every dash-happy paragraph as the work of a bot, let’s remember: some of us just like to write that way — excessively, unapologetically, and dashingly human.
This is so cool! I loved it!