If Language were liquid...

“If language were liquid
It would be rushing in
Instead here we are
In a silence more eloquent
Than any word could ever be” ( Language by S. Vaga)

Consider, if you will, the act of communication. The many different ways of communicating and the barriers that can stand in its way.
This blog is my communication to you, the reader. I am the sender and you receive the message. Hopefully, you will decode the message and then give me, the sender, feedback. We have a common bond and a purpose. A goal.
I wonder if we can communicate, or if it is just myself sending messages to you, reader? Dialogue = in Greek... dia (through) logos (word).
In nonverbal communication you would be able to see my gestures and body language. The way I hold my head to one side when I listen intently. The way I flick my hair from my eyes when I’m under pressure. You would see my eyes and you would be able to read my facial expressions. And in this world of written text and cyber magic can this really be done? We use emoticons (emotion + icons) Is this enough? :) Can this covey real emotion? When we laugh we say LMAO (Laugh My Ass Off) or PMSL (Piss Myself Laughing), LOL (Lots of laughs). Can you not hear me laugh? My giggle? Or chuckle? My own peculiar brand of laugh, it’s infectious you know.
I speak with a dialect. I share a cultural bond and a regional accent. I can use words that you would never know or understand, words which are rooted in history. My accent changes like a camelion, to suit what background I’m in. I will speak more slowly and more refined to people that are not from around me...how else would you understand? The linguist Max Weinreich stated that “a language is a dialect with an army and a navy”. Look at me with hob-nailed boots on then. When I have drunk too much wine, or when in the company of familiars, I am broad. Would this be a barrier to our communication? Or would you think of it as quaint? Would you be judgemental? Or would you make a class distinction?
Can I covey my personality to you through written word? Is it possible? Can you visit the virtual me and understand my being? We obey cyber etiquette. We understand the semiotic code, the rules of grammar and semantics...but would you understand me and my character? Look into my eyes and answer that question. Can you?

Misconstrued Communication (Nol K. Martin-Tungpalan)

When you speak your mind
From genuineness and integrity
Acid tongues matter little
When you speak your mind
From the truth
Respect is earned
When you speak your mind
Without venom
You inspire conversation
When you speak your mind from who you are
And not from who you would like
To be perceived
And speaking your mind
Will always be your
Homage to the real self

Kitty in the violets.

"This is just the beginning..." she said with a wry smile.