Question: What is it about exclamation points?

I know I’ve already talked about emoticons. But lately I’m on a bit of an exclamation kick, and it’s kind of freaking me out. Seriously!

I’m pretty sure I know why I am peppering more in my written communication these days. I’m the reporter for my daughter’s preschool’s newsletter, which means that I get to write about 40 kids (some of whom I have barely met) every month in some detail. I’ve noticed a sharp increase in the use of my exclamation points since I started this gig two months ago, and I’m wondering how that affects my image, such as it is. Because kids tend to do and say cute things that demand exclamation points. They’re just so dang cute!

See, the way I look at exclamation points, mainly kids or teenaged girls use lots of them. It seems a youthful thing. If you overuse them as an adult, it’s kind of disturbing because it immaturizes the writer to me by at least a decade or two when they do that!!! Do you see what I mean? It’s freaky!!!

On the other hand, I shouldn’t poo-poo exclamation points, because they are truly expressions of enthusiasm, which is a good thing. I’m sure that some Obama supporters use exclamation points, so why shouldn’t I? And this very blog server always tell me "Your blog has been posted successfully!", which always kind of makes me feel good. If it were a period following that line, I don't think my self-esteem would get that little kick.

And besides, what's wrong with enthusiasm? I’m known in general for my “bubbly” nature, and my exuberant extroversion, which has been known at times to drive people out of the room. So if I’m down on exclamation points, isn’t that, in some sense, a form of self-loathing? And don’t we have enough self-loathing in our world as it is?

I say yes to exclamation points! Yes!! Yes!!! Yes!!!!