August 2011 - OutreachNC Magazine

38 OutreachNC • August 2011
was recently traveling with my 12-year-old nephew, and I was apparently ranting
I about some squirrel or bird that ate my blackberry. To but this in perspective, this is
the first year I have started a
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real garden and have found it
to be very enjoyable except
for the pesky squirrels and
birds. I now have a love/hate
relationship with these
cute, little creatures,
because of having to race
them to get to the berries
first. I must admit it was
psychologically fulfilling to watch the fruits of my labor
ripen and to know that the next day I would pick the
blackberries and eat them. The next morning, I went
to get the blackberries, but they were gone. I was very
disappointed and even a bit mad.
So, I’m driving with my nephew ranting about a
squirrel that ate my blackberry. He looked at me
incredulously and said that it was not possible. When
he realized that I was telling the truth, I saw him
reflect for a moment, and then in a very serious tone
state that I could by a new one.
When I heard this it became apparent that we may
not be talking about the same thing. I asked him what
could I buy? He told me a phone. My wife and I started
laughing, as we both realized that I had been talking
about a blackberry fruit, and my nephew had been
talking about a BlackBerry phone.
In that we were talking about two totally different
things, we both got frustrated because neither of
us could understand why the other one would not
believe the other person.
While this example is based on a misunderstanding
of the same word with two meanings, I would suggest
that the same kind of “negative” experience can
happen around other circumstances. While we ended
up laughing about this experience, there are other
misunderstandings that can become very problematic
if everyone is not speaking the “same language.”
eSocialWorker Tip: Make sure you are
speaking the same language. Try gardening,
but be prepared for those cute, little
creatures.
Marquez, of eSocialWorker
LLC, can be reached at (910)
944-2893.
Mental Health
Mark Marquez