Language

So many of us think we know only one language, but we, in fact, know several. We understand and speak body language. We have numerous facial expressions. Even our breath speaks volumes. A gasp says something; a sigh; a hiss. Remember the way your mom used to suck in her breath when she was disgusted with you? And then she would slowly let her breath out again. The sound of that breath told you how much trouble you were in.
Have you seen the commercial about the rollover minutes? The family is riding in their car. The boy in the back seat asks his mom for some minutes for his phone. She replies, “I just gave you some at the restaurant.” He tells her he has thrown them away because they were old. She begins a speech about the minutes and he finishes her sentence. Her eyes grow large, almost bloodshot with anger. He realizes he’s said too much and looks at his mom for a moment, then over to his brother to break the tension. The language of those looks is priceless. I laugh each time I see it because it’s so real!
Of course we know English too and it's a wonderful language. Often it’s the simpler words that can cause the most reactions. How many times I have been arguing with my wife and she will say something and my only response is a sarcastic “Ah.” Of course I know what buttons to push, so I say the “ah” in order to allow myself to stand innocent. “Whadaya mean I’m a jerk? All I said was. ‘ah.’ What was wrong with that?” I smile when I hear the word jerk because that’s exactly what I was, but that’s part of the fun of language. Don’t you think so?
I recall a quote from Paul Tillich about different words we use to speak of the condition of being alone – “Our language has wisely sensed the two sides of being alone. It has created the word loneliness to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word solitude to express the glory of being alone.” – Ah. Don’t you love language?