Language

One of the best classes I have ever had at college was in my Shakespeare class. The class itself seemed rather random. We had been studying a play, maybe Hamlet, when he took an entire period off to discuss language.

"Language cannot purely be classified as merely English or French or German. Language is communication. Thus each person that we meet has their own particular language. The goal of our lives will be to learn the languages of others so we can communicate back."

This comment changed my life. I felt like I had always had a rather healthy relationship with language. I taught myself how to read, I loved studying characters within musicals, and more importantly I loved coming to know others. Yet this comment struck me. How much do I listen with my own language instead of learning theirs?

Just the other day my roommate Rachel and I were talking about the relationships in our lives, romantic and platonic, when she mentioned a thought that went along nicely with this particular language idea. Rachel mentioned that within the world of love there are 5 languages: words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch.

I often find it difficult to trust others. I wish, selfishly, that people would speak my language in our relationship instead of learning to recognize, appreciate, and use the two unique languages that we both possess.

This is my goal for the new year. I wish to be a better listener, a more giving friend. I am going to seek to appreciate and recognize the love that others give me instead of merely seeing what I myself communicate.