Did you ever wonder how long people have been communicating with other people? "Say the word, I, we, it, mother, brother, ten, and you are speaking words which, in one form or another, men of Europe and Asia have used for thousands of years." So wrote Frederic M. Wheelock in his book, "LATIN, An Introductory Course." (Don't bother to run to the local Barnes & Noble looking for this book because the issue I found this in was Copyrighted 1956, 1960 and 1968)

I have written in other places joshing about those who say "print is outdated, and books are disappearing" and I still say "balderdash". In case you haven't noticed, computers generate more paper than anything that has come down the pike during the last fifty years. We thought mimeographs were great (those of us who even remember what a mimeograph is, or was) but the computer and its printer, loaded with paper, can generate sufficient paper to qualify its owner to be called a publisher within months of possessing these electronic machines.

DON'T EVER STOP LEARNING - Does the "do it your selfer" or professional mechanic ever get enough tools? If there's a shooter in the family, does he/she just have one gun? Language is a tool in a shop. And reading is that unique tool for language. Unfortunately those who are semantic slight of hand artists in our world think they have all the answers and because of them our society is so concerned about leaving this group or that group out we have even let "politics" get into language - politically correctness. The moral for this thought is don't let the politically collect group drain all the blood (or meaning) out of all the important words. Whether these PC people want to admit it or not, differences in people do exist and instead of (attempting to) deny those differences we should celebrate them.*

All learning comes easy or hard depending on what you already know, or enabled yourself to know. Experience may be the best teacher but doubtless one could not find a more dangerous or harder teacher. The mind (brain) we humans have is one of the most copied or emulated objects man has on his drafting or research table. You may not know a scripture from a scarcement but you better know a spark can start a fire. You better know troubles, unattended to, can burn you out or make your mind sick.

Learning is basic to life. It is also user friendly. What you learn today may save your life tomorrow, or no less than make you understand what someone is trying to sell or tell you--in person or on the TV. An open heart or mind is the vessel of choice if you plan to be around long on this ball of clay swirling around the Sun. Otherwise, plan on letting someone else do all the thinking, working and care(ing) for you the rest of your life.

*Attribution is due Michael Golden, whose essay "Don't Rewrite the Bible" which appeared in the Fourth Edition of "Exploring Language". At the time of its publication (1986), Mr. Golden was an elementary school teacher in Brooklyn, New York. A brief commentary, "It is absurd." succinctly expresses Michael Golden's opinion on some politically correct words. Just in case this seed thought arouses your interest, "Exploring Language" Edited by Gary Goshgarian was published by Little, Brown and Company, Boston. ISBN 0-316-32157-5

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