When I acquired a pen pal in China, I was unprepared for one of Lucy’s questions. She had specialized in the study of the English language for 18 years of her short life. By her letters, she seemed to have an excellent command of her topic of study. I have since been told that, in person, it was hard work for Americans to understand much of her spoken words.
In one letter to me, she asked, ”Why is your language so difficult? In my language, there is only one word that means to walk. But in English, there are many. For example saunter, swagger. shuffled, moped, skipped, etc.. Can you help me to grasp this concept?”
As I recall, I spent quite a chunk of time gathering information, forming my thoughts, and answering her question. Now, I am finding myself searching for just the right terminology in describing the word fall.
In May of this year, I had on hosiery that caused hardwood floors to be very slippery. And, sure enough, I slipped. The result was two crushed vertebrae and eventual back surgery.
Last Sunday morning at 5 a.m., out of concern for a neighbor, I traipsed across our lawn in bare feet. I know exactly where the short path lies, the familiar clearing we have worn from years of crossing our property lines to visit or share with each other. What I did not take into consideration was the complete darkness that time of morning and the fact that the path had not been used very much in recent times. Well, I tripped, tangled in a short, brushy ground cover. And here I sit with my left arm in a splint, learning to type with one hand, and kicking myself that I will still be thus encumbered when Eli comes to entertain and be entertained in one short month.
I am really hoping to not plunge, dive, stumble, hit the dust, faint, misstep, step in a hole, become upright challenged, tumble or....must I say it? FALL ever again!!
Proverbs 16:18
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
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