How Many Languages Can You Speak?

I know I wrote a post awhile back about “Why don’t we all speak the same language?” but this is from a different angle.

How many languages can you speak is about how we translate this marble we are all spinning around on.

From the beginning of speech, different tribes in different areas created words that related to items and actions and even emotions. As long as all of us were living with family down in the holler, the terminology and meanings were repeated from what was past down. Then some outsider wandered by with different words and meanings and prejudice was founded.

People being people started to intermingle and the land was divided up by the most powerful. Language was one of the defining characteristics of a region. After some time people from one country could not speak the language of another country.

The words themselves can be learned by constant repetition of flash cards but the nuance of meaning understood by another culture could make for an awkward moment.

I’ve traveled to a few places where no one spoke my language and I didn’t understand their language, but we learned how to cope. Hand signals and silly acting got the message across. The attitude is the most important part of helping another is to understand and listen. We all are mostly interesting in the same things: eating, sleeping and sex. Making enough effort can accomplish communication.  Having a few drinks together helps.

There are universal languages we all understand that need no translation. Music and dance are two examples that bring smiles to everyone. Maybe if alien was to come down from the sky instead of being fearful, we should open the bottle and crank up the music.

Laughter is still the one language we all understand.