the B is silent!

have you ever had one of those days that just rocks you to your core? a light bulb moment or perhaps a realization or a glimpse of what a fool you had been making of yourself in previous years? well, i happened to have one of these so called light bulb moments at the age of 24. my mom, my sister, and i were driving down the street. we were on our way to town. i don't remember what we had planned, but i remember being excited. i know this because i sat upright and forward in my seat. sitting in the backseat of my mom's ford escape, i positioned myself between the two front seats by placing my elbows on the middle console. i began telling my mom and my sister a story. half way through the story i mention that i was trying to be subtle. now, for the majority of you who read the previous sentence and pronounced subtle correctly, well, i commend you. i said it like this...i was trying to be suB-tle. yes, i pronounced the silent B. my sister giggles and says, don't you mean subtle? (she said it correctly, not pronouncing the silent B). i answer, "no, i mean suB-tle." why? then the light bulb moment occurred. seriously, i had lived the first 24 years of my life believing the word subtle was pronounced suB-tle. nobody had corrected me before, and i liked the word, so i know i used it frequently. why hadn't anyone ever said, "dear, the B is silent." i was flabbergasted that no one besides my sister had ever asked me what i was saying. curious now, i continue to ask, "are there any other words that i pronounce incorrectly...or are there other silent letters that i fail to recognize as silent letters?" fireworks and light bulbs were going off in my head like it was the fourth of july. various public speeches, oral reports, and everyday conversations started playing through my head...omg! the humiliation. seriously, suB-tle! and no one told me...come on, people, next time try not being so suB-tle and help a girl out!