If You Know What I Mean

Communication is an important thing. It's a way to send and receive information about not only your immediate surroundings but, at this point, the rest of the world. It is a way to gain new information about new topics, or a way to review old information about old topics. Problems arise when there is difficulty involved in making yourself and/or the other person understood.

I remember hearing about some study that was done some years ago. Scientists recorded many, many conversations and then examined what was actually being said. As it turns out, over half (I think, I don't remember the exact amount, and I don't remember enough about it to look it up) of what was said in the conversations total was clarification; we spend most of our time clearing up what was said earlier. That does sound about right.

Thinking about conversations in my house, it's not uncommon for someone to say something that is not understood by someone else. Either they mumbled part of it, or they weren't talking loudly enough, or they are talking about something but in too vague terms, or they are talking about something unfamiliar to someone else. I am not familiar with "The Goon Show", nor have I ever watched "Gone With the Wind". So as you tell me about some program that made references to these, I am completely lost, and no idea what the hell you're talking about. I am also sorely tempted to flatly tell you that.

Another problem is information, in both quantity and quality. I've picked a program at MATC that I wish to pursue, and I will be attending an Academic Information Session next week. Earlier today, my Dad had me bring up the web page with the information on the program I was interested in. I had had trouble explaining the course overview to him earlier (due in part to the fact I had forgotten some of it), and he wanted to have a look for himself. This was a good move, as I was unable to simplify the information for him, partly due to the fact that it had already been simplified for me. Any further simplification would (and did) result in blurbs largely without meaning.

I've certainly been thinking about either showing the website to him or printing off copies of the relevant pages and showing them to Dad that way. I was also able to show the page that explains the need for the Academic Information Session. That was more of a spur-of-the-moment action, but since we're both here and looking at their website, I might as well. Hopefully, it will take care of some questions before they get asked.

I hope I made all this clear enough for you.