Total recall is long gone (09/05/07)

As I recall, I wrote a column a couple of weeks ago about my increasing tendency to forget names.

I say "as I recall," because that's become an operative phrase in my life in the days since that column made its way into print.

A little over ten days ago, I sat at the same computer where I wrote the "as I recall" column and crafted an editorial about the property tax mess.

It was something like the tenth editorial I've written on the subject, as I recall. But it's a complicated subject, so that's not surprising.

As I recall, I wrote it on a Thursday night. But it didn't run until the following Monday, as I recall.

I was pretty happy with it at the time. It zinged the governor and the state legislature, the folks I believe are largely responsible for the mess. And it urged the governor's political opponents to come up with some sensible alternative proposals.

All in all, after I wrote it and after it was published, I was pretty comfortable with the piece.

As I recall.

But sometimes, when you write something, you find yourself revisiting it. In this case, I was bothered by the fact that the editorial had - in a very tangential way - made fun of the toupee worn by the leader of Democrats in the Indiana House. So, the morning after it was published, I was replaying the editorial in my head. Oddly enough, I can usually do this word by word. And as I stood in the shower that Tuesday morning, one word jumped out.

Buchanan.

Instead of referring to Pat Bauer, the House speaker, I'd called him Pat Buchanan. Buchanan's a Republican, not a Democrat, and he's in Washington, not Indianapolis. And - while I suspect he dyes his hair - he doesn't wear a toupee.

In an instant, I'd gone from worrying about whether I'd gotten too personal in my crack about Pat Bauer into fretting about the fact that I'd gotten his name wrong.

Before breakfast, I re-read the Monday paper and, sure enough, saw that I'd gotten it wrong.

My only hope was that no one would notice.

I crossed my fingers.

But that morning, driving to work, I gave my neighbor Superior Court Judge Joel Roberts a lift to the courthouse.

"How are you this morning?" Joel asked.

"Not so good," I said. "I just realized there was an error in Monday night's editorial."

Joel didn't hesitate. "Buchanan," he said. To his credit, he didn't rub it in. But his instant response meant that there was no chance this would be invisible.

At work that morning, I wrote a one sentence correction, reflecting momentarily that some professions let you hide your mistakes and others require you to parade them. I mentioned the goof-up to Mike Snyder, The CR's managing editor, who immediately kicked himself for not catching the error.

Then, thanks to the vagaries of new computer software, the correction didn't run right away. It's bad enough to screw up and take your lumps, but the delay made it even worse.

Tuesday afternoon, after we'd published a paper that didn't correct Monday's error, I found a phone message on my desk that former school board member Duane Starr had called and didn't think Pat Buchanan wore a toupee.

So, from an accuracy standpoint, the week couldn't get worse, could it?

But it did.

A column I'd written on Monday about the engine show, which ran on Wednesday, had another error.

Almost casually, I'd made mention of "Richland Township's Al Confer" when talking about the president of the Tri-State Gas Engine and Tractor Association. Trouble is, Al lives in Knox Township, not Richland Township.

Again, I hoped no one would catch my "as I recall" goof.

But Gordon Kesler called. He's the Knox Township trustee, and he knows everybody out that way.

Al's one of theirs, he assured me.

And all I could do was apologize and wait for the week to be over.

At least, that's the way I remember it.[[In-content Ad]]