If you’re a Harrison Ford fan, you might think today’s post is about the 1984 adventure film Romancing the Stone. It’s not. This is about a different kind of stone—and how one small, shiny object helped clarify a big lesson about writing: your intention matters, especially when writing for others.
Today, the dood (Koda, my dog) and I drove an hour to Worth Avenue in Palm Beach. The mission? Ask a specific jeweler whether a mysterious stone I own is just purple glass or a real amethyst—and if it is, how much they’d charge to set it.
We lucked out with parking—same spot as last time, a little win for the day. Worth Avenue has designer boutiques, beautiful tiled fountains, lush palm trees, tropical flowers, and turf-lined sidewalks. I walked; Koda strutted, nose down, tail high, spreading joy and pee-mail along the way.
Intention is your gps
We arrived at the jeweler. Closed. The sign read “Open from 11 AM,” but it was already noon. We kept walking, slightly deflated (and lighter in the wallet thanks to the meter). For me, it wasn’t much of an adventure—nothing affordable to browse. But Koda? She left her mark—a huge poop, right on Worth Avenue. And honestly, that felt like a win – out is always better than in.
Now—how did you interpret that last line? Did you take it literally? I meant it that way: just recounting the facts of our walk. But imagine if you were someone who dislikes luxury culture. You might read it as a metaphor: a subtle protest, “down with the ultra-wealthy.” That would be a clever trick. But it wasn’t my intention.
And that’s precisely the point: in writing, what you intend and readers interpret don’t always align. In creative writing, that ambiguity can be part of the fun. But in marketing—or any writing where clear communication matters—you can’t afford to leave that much room for misinterpretation.
Parting thoughts and pics
The takeaway? Whether you’re crafting copy for a brand or writing a personal blog post, it helps to ask yourself: How might this be read? And does that line up with what I meant to say?
Intention matters—especially if you want your message to land exactly where you aim it. By the way, Palm Beach is beautiful, well-groomed, and worth a visit.
