Saturday, February 20, 2010

Pet Peeves & Misunderstandings

I'm sure there are things more frustrating than seeing a green house that clashes with the grass or being misunderstood, but today I cannot think of them. And today I'd count being misunderstood a much greater misfortune than seeing a green house that clashes with the color of the grass.

Can I articulate why green houses annoy me so much? Evidently not, for I watched my vlog and thought: "Well, that's doesn't really explain anything. At least not to the degree I hoped it would."

Can I articulate why I'm so frustrated with the phenomena of being misunderstood? Probably not any better than I can help you understand my pet peeve about green houses.

On a good day - if allowed to keep talking until I got it right - I might be able to accomplish it orally. Either that or I'd become hoarse and quit talking. (Who am I kidding? I'd probably not even stop talking when hoarse if I didn't feel I'd accomplished being understood.)

Maybe I could do better in written communication than oral. Maybe.

And let's be perfectly clear here (if I can be perfectly clear): I'm not talking about winning an argument. I'm talking about being understood. Period.

We don't usually get to rehearse how we say things in life, do we? Perhaps wise people practice in the protected silence of their thoughts. But usually we live, experience, react and speak as our thoughts as they come to us. We live our reaction. Not process it then act.

(Crap. That didn't even seem like it made sense.)

I hope you know what I mean.

I also hope you have times where you struggle to be understood. If so, that means I'm not alone in my fight with the futility of frustration.

I hope - ultimately - our efforts at communication aren't futile at all. Everyone deserves to be understood. Even the worst communicators in the world. Or the best communicators on their worst days.

You know what I mean? I hope so.

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