Whiplash! – “L” if I know what he’s going to write about next!

Whiplash: An injury to the neck caused by an abrupt jerking motion of the head, either backward or forward; And in the case of writing or speaking, can be caused by a rapid change of topic without prior notice.Whiplash! – “L” if I know what he’s going to write about next!

Ha. Ha. Very funny. Go ahead laugh. You don’t need a reason, just laugh. Science says it is good for you. Forget the adage that it takes fewer muscles to smile than to frown. That has never been proven. However, I can attest to the fact that when I laugh no matter howI’m feeling, beforehand, I usually feel better afterward.

I do need to be clear on this. When you laugh, you may feel better, but depending on the conditions that have brought on that laughter, the other people around may not feel the same joy. If you see someone trip and fall into a vat of jello or hear a person fart in your class, your urge to laugh will be strong, but think about how the other person might feel. Over time in relating that story, it may be more acceptable to share and laugh, but you really need to think about it before doing so. Laughter may be a given impulse that provides you with some health benefits, but so does self-control and empathy.

Whiplash!

Learning languages other than your own, may be a good thing for stimulating your brain and help you communicate with many different speaking people, but don’t let it fool you; unless you’re learning a new language at a very young age, it ain’t a piece of cake. Take it from me.

My parents were both born and raised in Germany. When they came over to America they had to become proficient in English. My father also had a background in French, having lived there 5 years before he came to America. By the time I was born, both my parents were fluent in English. To my detriment, they never taught me how to speak German or French. Even when I took French in Junior High School and High School, my father rarely helped me at all. French was the only class that I ever had a failing grade in. I decided to learn a different language on my own when I was in my 30s. The first language I tried was American Sign Language (ASL). I took 2 years of undergraduate college courses. I learned a bit but was never proficient in it. I even used some of what I learned in my teaching, but very basic stuff. When I was 63 years old and discovered that I had a brother in France, I decided to re-learn French, which I have been doing using online training for the past 5+ years. Recently I’ve added German as a language I’m working on, using the same online courses. Those foreign languages have too many gender-specific words to learn and their grammar rules are definitely “foreign” to me. Needless to say, I continue not to be proficient and yet I plod on.

Whiplash!

Listening is a very important skill to have. Too many of the people in this world learn how to hear, but are never taught how to listen. To hear something involves taking in sounds that are produced, whether from person to person, or nature, or some noise producing device and realizing that they are sounds. In some cases, those sounds need to be interpreted. I hear water splatter on my roof and know it’s raining. I’m in a group and hear voices and know there is communication going on. I am watching TV and hear someone talking near me and realize that they might be talking to me. But in a lot of cases, it just involves taking in the sound.

Listening, however, means much more. If I hear talking that is directed at me, I can do more than just spout back the words that have been spoken (that’s an advanced form of hearing) but I can interpret what the words mean and can react and respond to those words, acknowledging their content. Generally, listening involves eye contact with the person that is communicating, whether it be in person or via electronic media. Listening leads to conversation, a deeper understanding, and learning. Good listening skills can encourage compassion, empathy, and love. If the people in our government would only learn to listen as opposed to only hear, we might be better off as a civilization.

Whiplash!

What makes you laugh? Have you ever had to control your laughter because it wasn’t appropriate? What languages do you know? When did you learn them? Are you listening to any of this?

À bientôt/Bis bald…“M” mm. How is it he is never lacking for ideas?