It's a Word Thing

We use words everyday. We write them, say them, sing them, hum them, think them, shout them, cry them...well, you get the picture. Communication these days is all about words, even "text" versions like IDK and LOL. And the way we form single words into sentences conveys what we are thinking or need to impart, or they can get us into much trouble. History records the words of great men, and the future is sometimes dependent on the words we speak every day. Since I'm a writer I pay attention to words and their use so of course an article about how people speak will catch my attention. I get excited to maybe learn something new.

Imagine my surprise when the article revealed something I already knew: People that have been together for a while will speak and think the same things; moreso if they're compatible. This is new? Well, ok it may be new to some people but it wasn't new to me. Not only do I speak like my parents (don't you ever find yourself saying, "I sound just like my mother!"), but my DH and I often speak the same thing at the same time. And I often hear my children uttering phrases I often use, or sounding just like their father.

What I find funny is that it took some high level researchers and scientists and educators a lot of time to conduct studies to find this out. I guess that's okay because someone somewhere won't want to hear it from just one person based on their personal experiences. They'll want hard data to back it up, so the studies are necessary. But you lose the personal touch and the funny stories that ensue.

Take a conversation I had recently with my one of my daughters. She wanted to get some pictures taken of herself to send in to a modeling agency and for use to apply to "America's Next Top Model". The weekend started out cold and rainy, but Sunday was beautiful. I told her I was ready when she was if she wanted to go. A bit later, she came out to the kitchen and I asked her again if she wanted to go. She said no, she didn't really feel like getting all dolled up. "We can do it next weekend," she said. I asked her to repeat what she said. "We can do it next weekend."

When I started laughing she had no idea why. I told her, between the hysterical laughing, that I swore she said, "We can eat a Mexican." I have NO idea why I thought I heard her say that. The funny part is I actually was thnking about why she would say something like that. Well, I thought it was so funny I posted it on my Facebook status worded like this: What Lorrie said, "we can do it next weekend." What I heard, "We can eat a Mexican." I'm not so sure it was Geoff that got hit in the head this weekend.

My DH took a hit to the head in taekwondo and wasn't feeling well (he did have a concussion after all). He was gone to the store during this exchange between my daughter and I so he had no idea what I said or what I posted on Facebook. He came home and we just had to tell him the story. I didn't mention the Facebook post. So here I am telling him what Lorrie said and what I thought she said, and his response was, "Are you sure it was me who took the hit to the head this weekend?" Now THAT'S compatibility! Not only were we thinking the same thing, we actually said it in almost the same way.

That happens a lot with us. And it's random thoughts along with some of the standard responses people might come up with like fussing at a bad driver, or reminding the kids to do homework the minute you get home. So study or not, I know who I'm compatible with. I talk like my mother, think the same as my husband and hope my kids do the same thing.

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