"Do you say what you mean?"

Click here to listento Dr. Joey tell his story!

I’m trying to figure out something again today. Maybe you can help me. I’m trying to understand how we misunderstand each other so easily.

I was in 8th grade and Mr. Daughtrey was my Earth Science teacher. I remember him talking about astronomy one day and at the time I had a telescope. So as he talked about a celestial body, I remember him mentioning some of the distinctive features of it. I raised my hand and said, "Can you see it with a telescope?"

"Well, that depends on the telescope," he said.

"What about with one like mine?" I asked. "Can you see it with a telescope like mine?"

"What kind of telescope do you have?" he replied.

Then I realized that I had no idea how to describe my telescope to him. I knew nothing about the magnification power, only the size and shape of it.

Remember that someone else hasn’t had your experiences. Be specific when communicating with them so you both can see life from the same perspective as you listen to life and make a life, not just a living today.

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