Language: any system of formalized symbols, signs, sounds, gestures, or the like used or conceived as a means of communicating thought, emotion, etc.

For me language is principally about words, written or spoken.  This is language as most of us use the term, referring to spoken/written languages usually associated with a nationality: English, Arabic, Japanese, Swahili, Spanish.  That is simply the aspect of language that comes easiest to me and my preference for communication.  There are many, many other kinds of language.  Many of these would find themselves at home under Webster’s definition of language, and they are replete enough as methods of communication to earn the title.  Math is a language.  It is written in numbers.  You can tell a story about the origin of the universe with mathematical language.  It will not necessarily bare a resemblance to the story of the universe told in a language like English or Arabic, but it is a complete story in its own right.  Music is yet another, one that is particularly good at conveying emotion.  It is written in notes.  Many people have found expression of their deepest emotions in music, when words could not suffice.  Music combined with words, as in the case of most contemporary music, can be regarded as one of the most seamless expressions of thought and emotion at once.  Then there is body language.  Body language can be incredibly overt and almost unnoticeably subtle.  Dance is an example of body language in its overt form.  Dance is carefully planned with thesis, antithesis and synthesis, making a point and telling a story with precise movements selected with purpose, as carefully worded as a novel.  Body language in its subtle form is found in the everyday interactions of people.  A woman crossing her arms reveals she is feeling defensive.  A couple conveys their interest by turning their bodies to face each other.  Quickly raised eyebrows show surprise.  All of this is but a small portion of the many forms of language we use, and the many ways we can communicate.

 

At its heart, I believe language to be about sharing.  With language we can share with another person information, thoughts, experiences, emotions, ideas.  Sometimes this is a simple matter.  The sky is blue.  I love you.  I think we should go for a walk.  These are simple, self-contained sentences that say enough.  Any missing information is supplied by context, and the sharing is complete.  Sometimes complexity is called for.  I found myself relishing a beautiful sunset, and unfortunately the person I wished to share it with was over 800 miles away at the time.  So I made a phone call and described in detail what I was seeing.   I used not only descriptive words to show the color of the clouds and scent of the breeze, but also metaphor and simile to describe the experience of this perfect sunset.  How it was the end of my day, and as the sun disappeared below the horizon, how my stress from the day seemed to go with it since I was going to my rest as well.  This use of language to share an experience in its depth and breadth has always been a deep joy of mine.  The quest of finding the words that will make an experience real to another person, real enough that the sharing of the experience becomes an experience in and of itself.  The task of telling a story so the story imbues itself in the soul, and belongs not to me, but to any who have heard it.  To find the rhythm and cadence that makes someone laugh out loud.  These are pleasures of playing, molding and creating with language.  Sometimes I find that I have used a word that someone does not know the meaning of (or even a word from another language), and they will ask me to explain.  When I do, people often ask why I didn’t just use the simpler word or the English word, and my answer is simple: It wasn’t the right word for the sentence.  I admit that I am sometimes disappointed with others who do not give in the fullness of detail that I myself try to offer.  As I am sure others are disappointed with me that I cannot be more succinct!

Perhaps the greatest joy and challenge is to not in the description of a sunset or the telling of a funny story, but in the conveying of an abstract idea.  How do you share with someone what love is?  How do you define faith?  The analogy has always been my friend in this endeavor.  Find a concrete, tangible experience that someone can relate to, and draw that parallel.  Finding the right words becomes more difficult and more rewarding in the effort to concretize the abstract.  You will never see me more excited than when I am on the verge of sharing an intangible truth.

 

Ultimately, language fails us.  No matter how carefully we choose the words, the phrases, the accompanying gestures, we cannot convey that which is beyond words (or notes or numbers or movements).  Take your spiritual or numinous experience.  You may be able to find the words for the sights, sounds, smells, or even the way time freezes.  Perhaps you can even articulate the feelings experienced during a spiritual experience, the most abstract and intangible aspects of any profound moment.  But somehow the description of each part cannot accurately convey the sum of the experience, and the best we can do is tell others how the shadow looks because we cannot look at the sun.  This is because on occasion, we must use words to describe that which precedes words; that which exists, creates, thrives before and beyond language.  Any attempt to put this ultimate Source into words reduces it to a manageable human level, and a great deal is lost in translation.  This is a reality of theology, of God Words.  Those of us who engage in this discussion, regardless of what/who Theo is to us, must always acknowledge that we are taking on a task we must fail at.  We cannot describe the Aitios (Gk. Source) in completeness, although if we are very diligent and very lucky, we may perhaps hit upon a few words that are a part of the ultimate divine truth.  I have found this to be true regardless of where the words are found: in theological academia, in pulpits and teach circles, in casual conversation, and even in the sacred texts.  So long as humanity seeks the Ultimate, whatever the Ultimate is, we will have this task of God Words with its partial successes and complete failures.  It is this task that has humbled me with the vastness of God and the limitations of language.

 

 

Cats.  I relax completely in a feline presence.  Put a cat on my lap, and I could be sitting on a rock and I'd relax completely.  I'm more comfortable in a cats presence than I am in the company of most humans.  Cats are very immediate in their desires- they want to play/eat/be petted NOW.  But that means that once you have fulfilled their desire, they have no further expectation of you.  If you are petting a cat, they are not also reminding you about feeding them later or the need to change the litter box or reminding you of things completely unrelated to the moment- like the research you need to be doing or the fact that you'll need to do laundry sometime this week.  A cat will keep you in the moment.  Indeed, probably most animals will, but I'm a cat person, so I favor their methods of keeping it in the present moment- like sitting on top of anything they don't think you should be doing right now.  Cats keep you present in the moment, and I  find that a very pleasant place to be.

My self-esteem is intimately tied to my actions.  I make absolutely no statement in any way about whether this is good or bad.  It simply is.  There are many actions that boost my self esteem. A few examples are:

Balancing my checkbook
Finishing a paper
Getting my haircut
Exercising
Going grocery shopping
Handling a problem at work well
Being helpful in any way
Paying my bills

I feel good about myself when I'm doing what I need to be doing: taking care of my body, handling my day to day affairs, doing my job, or answering my call.  When I neglect these things, my self-esteem drops.  I don't feel as beautiful, as smart, as balanced as I should.

Emphatically Not.  I could never stand the pressure and scrutiny of fame, regardless of what that fame derives from.  The most glory I ever want is to be thanked in someone's book jacket or award acceptance speech.  I want to motivate and help someone to acheive their goals and desires, and to reach their maximum potential, which for someone may include fame.  As for me, I'm content to just be happy in my little niche in the world.  No spotlight, thank you.

My family.  I know that they love me and they will be there for me when I turn to them for help.  They've proved that to me time and time again.  I am very blessed.  And a little spoiled :).
I also know there is a time for everything, and everything has its season.  That means that I must be patient awaiting what is currently not, and relish every second of that which is.

I am grateful for the many intangible joys in my life.  I've been neglecting many of them because I've been concerned with the monetary and material.  Money has been tight (as it is for many currently) and that has been stealing my focus.  This weekend I had an opportunity to spend time with my extended family and friends.  I appreciated their company and conversation.  I'm so proud of my mom, who demonstrated this weekend what a gifted singer she is.  I spent time in deep contemplation and prayer, and rediscovered the joy of connecting with my Higher Power.  I'm so grateful to have a vibrant spiritual life.  I let go of someone I'd been holding too close, and found the willing love and support of my friends.  I am grateful for the reminder that the balance of my bank account is not all I have to be thankful for, and that I should pay attention to all those other blessings.

Worry and fear.  Always.  Either I dwell on all that I haven't done in the past or I obsess over all that I must accomplish in the future.  The past cannot be changed, and I have no control over the future.  I can only do the best I can with what I can effect- the now.  Easier to know than to practice.

In space, I am in the midwest of the U.S.A.  Mostly Chicago, but not exclusively.  In time, I am either a third or a fourth of the way through my life (depending on long my life is, of course, I may be halfway there or I may die tomorrow).  I'm in the time of being a student, a worker, a friend, a child, and an adult. 

This question is more difficult for me than it looks.  A week ago my answer would have been clear and concise.  I would know exactly what to surrender.  Now I wonder if the thing I though I should surrender is something I should still be fighting for and the thing I thought I was supposed to be fighting is in the fact the very thing I should surrender to.  I'm confused.

I trust in the Divine.  Usually for me that means the three persons of the Christian Trinity.  The Parent to hold me, the Christ to teach me, and the Spirit to move me.  I hold no secrets nor do I fear to confess anything to God/dess.  S/He is constantly with me, and can be turned to in any crisis without fear or shame.