Who says spelling doesn't matter?

First of all let me say I know it is not a great photograph, but it is the only one in my collection taken near to the place I want to tell you about. The river, by the way, is the River Clyde. I was born way down stream from here in the town of Port Glasgow. This photograph was taken much nearer to the source of the river, just outside the village of Abington.

Let me tell you why I was thinking about this village tonight.

I was chairing a meeting earlier this evening when one of the members of the committee shared with us a little tragi-comic tale. He was in this little village of Abington when a very large French truck drew up to a halt beside him and the driver leaned out of the cab and, showing him an address on a slip of paper, asked the man how he might find that address.

My friend looked at the slip of paper and, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, had to point out to him that the place he was looking for was in Abingdon in Oxfordshire, not Abington. It was only one small letter, but it meant he had driven 328 miles further north than he should have. Ooops.

I wonder what his boss had to say when he finally got back to France?

Who says little things are unimportant?

And who says spelling doesn't matter?