Getting It All Wrong
Written words so often fail me. They are inadequate to convey real meaning and intention. A few friendships I have had, got all muddled up because of the failure of words on a page to communicate my true thoughts.
This is for anyone else out there who has had this happen......ah, if you ken my meaning!!
words merely typed
(not even said in a tone
to hint at their true meaning)
can be so misconstrued
by the reader
and are so dependent on
the frame of mind,
that it makes a huge impact
on the spirit with which words are received.
and this is an unfortunate thing indeed...
the light, lively and fun
can become heavy, blind and serious
or ....
it could nail it and elicit a smile,
a response in kind,
a much appreciated
mission accomplished.
extended word counts --
verbiage from the heart,
perhaps well-meaning advice
a new point of view,
can be seen as ridicule
and can spawn defensiveness
where nothing but empathy
and protectiveness
were intended.
short, clipped, and succinct
can be felt as uncaring callousness --
dismissing any highlights
hoped to be treasured
and perhaps even passed back.
openness and honesty,
intended to be a gift
shared in a nurturing spirit,
-- raw vulnerability,
can become threatening--
with the undue pressure
of expectations
difficult to fulfill.
-- too much room for error
and misjudgment.
when does one take a step back
and where does one go?
was communication any clearer
before someone created signs
representing words
and marked the cave wall?
perhaps even this pre-historic pictogram
was also misread once too often –
maybe we haven't come such a long way after all......
(not even said in a tone
to hint at their true meaning)
can be so misconstrued
by the reader
and are so dependent on
the frame of mind,
that it makes a huge impact
on the spirit with which words are received.
and this is an unfortunate thing indeed...
the light, lively and fun
can become heavy, blind and serious
or ....
it could nail it and elicit a smile,
a response in kind,
a much appreciated
mission accomplished.
extended word counts --
verbiage from the heart,
perhaps well-meaning advice
a new point of view,
can be seen as ridicule
and can spawn defensiveness
where nothing but empathy
and protectiveness
were intended.
short, clipped, and succinct
can be felt as uncaring callousness --
dismissing any highlights
hoped to be treasured
and perhaps even passed back.
openness and honesty,
intended to be a gift
shared in a nurturing spirit,
-- raw vulnerability,
can become threatening--
with the undue pressure
of expectations
difficult to fulfill.
-- too much room for error
and misjudgment.
when does one take a step back
and where does one go?
was communication any clearer
before someone created signs
representing words
and marked the cave wall?
perhaps even this pre-historic pictogram
was also misread once too often –
maybe we haven't come such a long way after all......
Mother of Invention, hoping you got some of that!
posted by Mother of Invention at 8:30 AM
9 Comments:
There's no substitute for face-to-face communication. But when that isn't possible, words are the next best thing. They must be carefully chosen and carefully read to avoid the pitfalls that are inherent in electronic communication.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Welcome to the club - and I just love reading your blog anyway!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Sometimes, I can write better than I can speak. Both have their pro's and con's. It is easy to misunderstand the written word.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Barbara: I know..but it's so hard!
Renny: I joined the club reluctantly I can tell you! Thanks for enjoying my blog.
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Old Lady: You are indeed lucky. It amazes me how tangled up we can get! You'd think we'd have the intricacies of the written language all figured out by now!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Did you notice on my Thursday Thirteen that a few people sort of said, well, you can move on...?? I think it's interesting how the humour can be passed over and the grit of it all can be the only part seen. I saw on someone's blog that they had a disclaimer about sarcasm. It worked because it made me read her words with a sense of irony. I'm with old lady though, I think I get misunderstood more often when I speak than when I write.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Bobealia: I get your humour and I love it! Yes, sometimes I quickly blurt out some words I regret. My mind is pretty quick..too quick at times.
Friday, July 21, 2006
I used to think email was the easiest way to kill a friendship. There is a definite strength in waiting to hit the send key and looking over the words to make sure they convey a good message.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Brooksba: You got that right! Thanks for the extra nudge and reminder!
Monday, July 31, 2006
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