"mediocre"

I'm going to talk about something today. It is my own opinion and feelings and I respect you and your wishes and preferences so I think you will respect mine even though it goes against what many people believe. I am sure many of you participate in this action, including my own husband so see, it's nothing against you personally. But I am curious regarding the closing salutation in an email:

best,

jen

Best? Best?? I understand that it probably means "best regards" but i find this extremely and unnecessarily formal, so much that it makes me laugh a little bit and it just becomes a nonsense word to me, a word to throw in there when you don't know what else to say. It means nothing. I have mentioned that i am an extremely informal person, in my every day interactions with others and also correspondence, so when I read "best" i immediately think "robot." I just think it's really weird and I'm almost a little bit offended that someone views me no better or more familiar or friendly-like than, say.. i don't know... a recipient of an email you have to begrudgingly write. Know what i mean? And how sincere is it, REALLY. You say "best" or "best regards" but do you REALLY mean that? Do you really want to send me your best regards or best wishes? I have my doubts. You can't even type out the whole thing. You abbreviate it to "best." And what are "regards" anyway.

I'm now going to interpret it, rather than meaning "best wishes" or whatever, as instead meaning "i am the best, Bob." Your closing salutation is stating how you think you are the best. I think this is much more fun & entertaining and is something I can actually grasp as opposed to the super sterile and vacant, meaningless "best."

Again, trillions of people do this so it is nothing against you. This is just how I feel. I really value putting myself into my writing. I know no other way. If I try to be formal or official or business-like, I start to bore & hate myself. I just can't do it. It isn't me. This is why I got low grades on papers back in the day, because I would continue to go against the formal writing/essay rules and throw in a bunch of "I's" and share my personal views. I once took an essay test that was painfully boring and concluded it with an "Ode to the Testing Center" poem which my teacher asked if he could read to the class. I got no points for that but i'd like to think it helped make his test-grading interesting which means more to me anyway.

Thus, I conclude this post and would like to wish you a wonderful day. I'm being sincere when i say that. Many wishful regards and hopes and thanks to you.

Coolest,

Jen