Word Confusion

Sometimes I tend to read words for what I associate them with, as opposed to what the word actually reads. No, it's not dyslexia, I swear. I can read fine. I've passed every single literacy I've ever taken. It's just that sometimes my brain likes to fuck with me, because it thinks it's being funny.

There was this time where I went to this fundraiser event, and I had to run laps around these tracks in support of the Cancer Council. Now it was an overnight event, and all the participants had set up their own tents, drew banners etc. in show of team spirit. Maybe I got tired of running or something, but as I lapped the field, I started reading some very strange things.

Carpe Diem (Latin, popularly translated into "seize the day") became "Rape Crisis"

Rural Flights (charity supporting remote areas) became "Funeral Services"

Now when I saw these things at first I was all wtf, who the hell are these people and what are they doing here, why would anyone put "Rape Crisis" as a banner, that's just feral etc, etc. Then I refocused and realised what the words had actually said. 

That was just a one time event. Can't be that bad, right? Until I went into city centre and saw this banner which in reality read "Monumental". Except it had a woman in a red dress. Then I read the sign as a cross between "Menstrual" and "Menstruation". The imagery was horribly suggestive though. By the way, isn't it strange how it's called menstruation?  I digress. 

I remember in primary school, when I always used to think that "Britney" and "Charlotte" where the same word, for some reason. Yeah, I know they sound different and look different, but I could not sort out the names of those two girls.

Still that wasn't as bad as high school, when I confused the words "circumcision" and "castration". Luckily neither of those words have much use under most situations, and I was spared the embarrassment of saying that "30% of males around the world are castrated". Oh lord, that is kind of horrific to imagine.

And currently I am still wary when I think of the words circumference, circumscribe and circumcision. I usually pause for a good 3 seconds to think about what the word actually means, before I use any of them in a sentence.

Have you ever wondered about the name of my Tumblr? "Serotonin and Vipers". Seems random, doesn't it? See, it was originally "Sera and Vane" (Sera being the other artist of the blog). Then when I typed that there, I started reading it as "Serotonin and Vipers". At least that was much more creative than simply "Sera and Vane'. 

I'm just waiting for the day, where my poor and confused brain gets me into a world of shit, because I can't seem to read words for what they actually are.