Talk, Talk, Talk

Effective communication doesn’t need to be verbal. This fab Chinese proverb comes to mind:

"Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand.”

WAY true and I wish I followed that path more back in my training days.

What I’ve got in my shallow brain pan is a whole ‘nother kind of communication. The sort had between BFFs after a long, strenuous day of slogging through 70 mile an hour winds. All while attempting to view and appreciate various bits of Mother Nature's astounding craft work. Like, Gullfloss -- the waterfall who gives Niagara a wee complex, Strokkur -- the geyser Old Faithful has wet dreams of, Kerið -- the crater lake that Bitlis-Nemrut Crater Lake still sends Valentine’s Day cards too. Oh and that tectonic plate dealie -- OOF!

Yeah, we’re seeing some prime grade awesome nature stuff and I’m leaning on Jen like I’m 90 years old and she’s my sturdy caretaker. Remember meine Freunde, I don’t have balance nerves. Those suckers got yanked when Dr. O and friends did their seriously way skillful tumor excavations. Vision is how I stay upright. If I can’t see, I can’t balance. Mega joy joy.

So at the end of the day I was feeling horribly guilty. I was just a big ol’ burden and poor Jen could’ve had so much fun if I wasn’t such a tragic case and.....and....

We were in the tiniest elevator EVAH (OK, the one in Giovanni’s mother’s building in Rome gives it a run for it’s money. These are two person elevators -- three if you’ve all had sex. With each other. And enjoyed it) -- we're headed up to our third floor apartment at the hotel. I’m going through my big time apology. Hell, I’m nearly the Prince of Denmark, I’m that sorry. And then Jen interrupted. She
dramatically turned her back to me (I got a sad at that point), flipped up her coat, bent over (the ‘hell’s she doin’?) and cut a fart SO loud that even I, Deaf Broad 2012, heard it. Yes, this sucker was akin to a sonic boom and was exactly THE MOST effective way to communicate her response to my drama momma shtick.

Once I figured out what happened (‘was that a bomb?’ ‘gunfire?’ ‘Jen, I think something bad just happened to the elevator!’ ahhhhh...no.) we fell into the biggest laugh/giggle/snort fits of all time. We could barely walk. Jen and I managed to, more or less, roll ourselves off the elevator. Unlocking the apartment door while shrieking with laughter was ALMOST beyond us though.

There ya go -- this, THIS is a perfect illustration of effective nonverbal communication.

Aren’t you glad you tuned in for this important lesson?