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Words.
Words are powerful. Exciting. Thought-provoking. Invigorating.
Words, in the right context and usage, can be a dynamic catalyst for creative thinking and solid results.
However, using the wrong words in either content or meaning may be disastrous. How many times have we seen dialogue turn ugly just because the words were either misconstrued or misinterpreted?
All the pieces are in play with our speech: phrasing, interpretation and even gestures. One slip of our tongue of our communication could be a catastrophe.
However, go one step further…
How is that possible?
Simple; if a person acquires aphasia.
The Ability to Communicate
Aphasia? What is aphasia?
Well, guys and gals, as the Mayo Clinic indicates,
Aphasia is a condition that robs you of the ability to communicate. Aphasia can affect your ability to express and understand language, both verbal and written.
Thus, when I suffered my massive stroke, believe it or not, I also acquired global aphasia which obliterated my communication for years.
What a bear.
You can just imagine, (especially in my younger days of my recovery,) to get the meaning across to a person that doesn’t understand or appreciate what aphasia is. To put it another way, people get hung up on words so intently that they are missing the intrinsic meaning of the message when I am grappling with aphasia.
The Exchange of Essence
Therefore, my meanings ongoing need to be extraordinary each and every day with aphasia. Compelling, yet strong in my seek, in particular, I:
- Listen to another person intently
- Ask one million questions
- Craft my words the best that I can and
- Lastly, if I make a mistake, then, lo and behold, I make a mistake.
But, if I can have a cozy chat with another person on the exchange of essence and not the words itself in the microscope, then we set sail on a productive conversation.
What do you think your words are?
Note: As an Advisory Council board member for the National Aphasia Association, I promote public education and support services to assist people with aphasia and their families. I present several links for more knowledge and information about aphasia: