"Words are... the most powerful drug used by mankind."

Today (and everyday) I am grateful for good communication, the ability to communicate, and the knowledge to do it without sounding like an idiot. Most of the time.



The beyond wise quote in the title above was spoken by Rudyard Kipling, the English author who wrote great works of literature such as The Jungle Book, and Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. I think there is a lot of astuteness to the comparison between words and drugs. Anne Morrow Lindbergh had a very astute moment, herself ,when she noted,

"Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after."

Now, I am not a coffee drinker, but I definitely understand this allusion and, in fact, experieced it myself last night.

Yesterday, Lance and I, in an effort to continue to get to know and understand each other better/shake things up in our nightly phone conversation, wrote down the ten most important things/principles/ideals we each hold dear. At the end of the day, we sat down and took turns reading and explaining each item from our lists to one another.

An hour and a half after we started, my head was reeling- and in a very good way! We covered nearly every aspect of life. We saw many of the things that are commonly important to us, and I know that I both discovered and relearned things about him- things that he aspires for and holds near and dear to his heart. I can't speak for Lance, but post conversation- I felt a renewed sense of "us". Good communication cannot be topped, nor can it be replaced. I advise all of you to do this exercise with friends, potential lovers, siblings, parents, and even spouses- check in on one another and you will gain a new sense of love and appreciation for that person. Try it. You'll like it!

I am also grateful for the power of the written word/my ability to utilize words in order to get my point across. I had to review a book for my International Politics class, and while I won't get into it on here, the book was about a contemporary issue which consisted of points and arguments that are in complete disaccord with what I believe. I was so grateful I was able to review the book and subtly state my opinion without having to give up my principles and without sounding like one of those "narrow-minded conservatives driving an SUV", as my book so aptly put it.

I suppose I got this trait from my grandpa. He passed away on 16 September of this year, but his love of words was unmatched by anyone else I have ever met. He was such a wonderful writer- he was able to communicate exactly how he felt without throwing it in your face (well, most of the time), and he was always able to do it in an educated manner. He had quite the vocabulary, and to this day- whenever someone uses a ten-dollar word, my mom, my sister, and I are quick to point out, "That's a grandpa word!" I am extremely grateful to him for this legacy he has left me and the fullness it brings to my life. Thanks Grandpa!

"A Greatful Heart is a Happy Heart"

As you all know, Thanksgiving is this month! In honor of the best month out of the twelve, I thought I would share with you some of the things I am thankful for this month.

Indoor Plumbing.

Indoor Pluming is great. Think about it: it is 3:47 in the morning. You're in the middle of a great dream, something involving Brad Pitt and Chocolate, and suddenly your eyes open and you realize that the tingling you're feeling has nothing to do with the chocolate OR Brad Pitt- it is that Big Gulp you had before bed deciding to make its second appearance. You sleepily stumble out of bed, put your slippers on and bump down the hall into the bathroom. Effortlessly, you take care of your business, and effortlessly flush the toilet. You effortlessly wash your hands, and return to your warm bed without ever having to give this act of normalcy a second thought. You didn't have to treck outside through the snow to take care of your business in the dark, without any light more than the moon.

Let us consider another scenario: you find that your darling little 3 year old has discovered your makeup, or the muddy ground in the backyard, or the halloween candy, and she is a mess. After you roll your eyes and take a quick snapshot to document your cute little one, you pick her up, run a bath, and start scrubbing. This task that once would have required pumping water from the outside water pump and then boiling it, can now be accomplished with a simple flick of the wrist!

Here's still one more situation to think about: Sunday evening, you're cooking a great meal of pot roast, split pea soup, a salad, and mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob. Through the course of creating your domestic feat, you boil two pots of water, run the water to wash your salad/hands, fill up pitchers with water from the fridge and ice from the freezer, and you do all this without having to walk down the street to the community water well, as you would have had to do before the marvelous invention of INDOOR PLUMBING.

The Bubonic Plague spread so easily in 1340s England due largly to midevil England's hygene habits. Think about that. I'm just saying.

Think about this next time you utilize your toilet or shower- think about how easy it has made your life... Because of the great difference it has made in the modern world, I am grateful for Indoor Plumbing today. Thank you Thomas Maddock and William Leigh!