This morning I was reminded of an event that took place when I was in elementary school, probably about second grade.
I was in the office at Harvey Clark Elementary waiting for my mother to pick me up from school. Mr. McCammon, the school principal, came out of his office and started to chat with me. During the course of the conversation, he asked me a question, most likely about my reasons for being in the office. My immediate response was "Yup!"
He asked if I meant to say "Yes."-- "Yup" was my reply.
Again he gently prodded, 'Did you mean to say "yes?"' -- "Yup!"
After a few more attempts to elicit "Yes" instead up "Yup," he changed his approach. "Are you a little Dutch girl?" he asked.
I was quick to respond, "Nope!"
How often in life are we given subtle clues that it's time to polish our halos or to take some other step to improve our presentation? Mr. McCammon was trying to teach me to communicate more precisely. My language wasn't offensive in any way, just a bit sloppy.
Superheroes are careful in their speech. When in their alter-ego disguise, they have to think before they speak lest they somehow reveal their true identity. In their superhero guise, they are equally circumspect. In every situation, they recognize the need to understand and to be understood in order to meet the demands of frequently tense, and perhaps life-threatening, events. They choose words that bring calmness and civility to the discourse and encourage similar communication from others.
When confronting villians, the superhero's words are direct, yet somehow inoffensive. By their very language, superheroes show that they are in control and can be relied upon by those who are weak or in peril. There also seems to be a kindly good humor in their conversation.
Superheroes are sufficiently strong in themselves, that they don't need to convince others that they are worthy of respect. Words enhance their communication and are never used as weapons to overwhelm or harm another. I cannot think of a single instance when a superhero has used profane or otherwise coarse language. Maybe it's because profanity is another form of sloppy language.
If I have any aspirations for my blog, it is to enrich the lives of those who read it. If I cannot contribute something positive to the dialogue, then my efforts are pointless and unworthy. I welcome your comments.
I was in the office at Harvey Clark Elementary waiting for my mother to pick me up from school. Mr. McCammon, the school principal, came out of his office and started to chat with me. During the course of the conversation, he asked me a question, most likely about my reasons for being in the office. My immediate response was "Yup!"
He asked if I meant to say "Yes."-- "Yup" was my reply.
Again he gently prodded, 'Did you mean to say "yes?"' -- "Yup!"
After a few more attempts to elicit "Yes" instead up "Yup," he changed his approach. "Are you a little Dutch girl?" he asked.
I was quick to respond, "Nope!"
How often in life are we given subtle clues that it's time to polish our halos or to take some other step to improve our presentation? Mr. McCammon was trying to teach me to communicate more precisely. My language wasn't offensive in any way, just a bit sloppy.
Superheroes are careful in their speech. When in their alter-ego disguise, they have to think before they speak lest they somehow reveal their true identity. In their superhero guise, they are equally circumspect. In every situation, they recognize the need to understand and to be understood in order to meet the demands of frequently tense, and perhaps life-threatening, events. They choose words that bring calmness and civility to the discourse and encourage similar communication from others.
When confronting villians, the superhero's words are direct, yet somehow inoffensive. By their very language, superheroes show that they are in control and can be relied upon by those who are weak or in peril. There also seems to be a kindly good humor in their conversation.
Superheroes are sufficiently strong in themselves, that they don't need to convince others that they are worthy of respect. Words enhance their communication and are never used as weapons to overwhelm or harm another. I cannot think of a single instance when a superhero has used profane or otherwise coarse language. Maybe it's because profanity is another form of sloppy language.
If I have any aspirations for my blog, it is to enrich the lives of those who read it. If I cannot contribute something positive to the dialogue, then my efforts are pointless and unworthy. I welcome your comments.
Hi Sharolynn,
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and am so excited to follow it!
Hope you are well. :)
xo,
Cynthia