How Well do You Communicate?

While driving my wife to work today I was listening to the normal classical music, trying to wake my mind up for the day. It usually works, but sometimes my mind spins off in unexpected directions. Today my mind wandered from realizing how simple the piece I was listening to was, to wondering how certain bends were noted in the music sheets back when it was composed, to remembering my own experiences composing and experimenting with various composing methods as if I didn't know how to compose.

The final realization in my thought pattern was this. Everything is about language; everything in this world is about communication. For example, as I press each key someone has told my computer how to accept this form of communication, someone else told the computer how to run this translation device we call a web browser, and when I push publish some one else has taught their server how to respond to even that. That is a form of communication.

Other forms include shaping metal, the way emotions effect your body, the way your nerves distribute the idea of touch to the brain, driving, reading, even turning the pages to read. What we are communicating is a matter of perspective. For instance in reading this blog post you have communicated with your mind, your fingers, the electricity coming out of the wall on it's many travels, your computer, your isp, etc. You have communicated in a million different ways with a million different things and you haven't even taken notice; except to perhaps these words. When you start thinking about everything in terms of communication everything becomes easier to digest. School is all about learning communication; math, english, science, politics, history (did I just repeat myself).

So all those people that think they are too dumb to understand computers, work with there hands to build a house, etc. need to rethink their abilities. All you need to do is think about how communication with any object works. And communication s only a way to get what you want done. Learn how to hammer a nail and the purpose for doing so. In doing that you'll have learned a little bit about construction; the mode of communication to manipulate diverse materials in order to have a house to live in.

If all of this is way over your head, don't worry. This is mostly a mental reminder to myself that I can take on anything I want to learn, I just need to learn the modes of communication.