I've missed you

It's been almost two weeks without a post - uncharacteristically long for me. I have been traveling and away from machines. I have missed taking the time and enjoying the opportunity to stabilize.

My learning from my time away: people worry too much about not sharing language. Language is important (I do love language) and it is not the most important component of communication. I would rather listen to an enthusiastic answer to my question in a language I do not understand than listen to an insincere or inattentive answer in a language I do understand.

Sometimes the languages in question are not the big language groups (like English or Spanish). Sometimes they are the languages of teaching or business or any technical grouping. Sometimes they are even more subtle. We human beings depend on very fine increments of meaning and we convey them through languages that sometimes seem to be using the same words for very different things.

I hope - I believe - that I welcomed someone into my family this week with the persistence and congruence of my intention. I hope - I believe - that he understood what I really meant even when the words were a little blurry.

It's Christmas - a time for one message in so many media and languages. Think about what you want to say - then say it. Words are optional.

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