The Tree in The Giving Tree

The Giving Tree is one of my favorite books of all time; it always has been.  When I first read the book, I was more interested in the relationship between the tree and the boy, and how the tree was there for the boy.  Now that I am a parent myself, I relate more to the tree than the overall relationship represented between the boy and the tree.  I, like the tree, would given anything to my son if it meant it would make him happy.  I would give until I was down to just a stump myself it meant his happiness and success.  I would easily give all my apples and branches if it meant I would see his smile.

Ally Fries or Alley Fries?

Every Sunday, I have dinner with my parents.  It is a manditory "family dinner" that started the year I moved out of my parents' house.  Since my husband's birthday was this past week, he got to choose where/what we had for family dinner.  Since there was a Vikings game and my hubby hadn't been to his hometown to eat in a while, he chose Shari's Sports Saloon in Chatfield, Mn.

Source: Shari's Sports Saloon Facebook page

 Already, you have learned about a few cultures and traditions I am a part of; both are concepts in Interpersonal Communication. That is not what this blog is really about, though.  I am going to focus it on an example of verbal miscommunication. 

When my dad was ordering his Philly cheese steak from Shari, he was struggling with what to order as his side.  She recommended the newest addition to the menu:  alley fries with alley sauce.  When Shari walked away, my dad turned to me and asked who Ally was.  I was confused and asked what he mean. He asked again who Ally was, as in who made the sauce.  I tried not to laugh, but I thought his confusion was kind of funny.  You see, the nickname for Shari's to locals in Chatfield is "the bowling alley."  The fries and sauce were actually called alley fries and alley sauce in reference to the nickname.  Since I have known about the nickname for decades, I just took it as common knowledge. My dad, not as familiar with Chatfield, had no idea. 

New Quarter

Image source: http://boredcentral.com/eliminate-boredom-in-the-classroom-yes-it-can-be-done/

I always get excited for a new quarter to begin; I like the idea of a clean slate and starting from the beginning.  I find that the first day of the quarter often indicates what kind of class (personality-wise) each section will be.  I understand the class is made up of individuals, but it also seems as if each section has a collective personality as well.  Yesterday, I observed a lot of nonverbal and verbal communication. Some sections are far more verbal than others; just as some sections are far more nonverbal that others.  I find that my mood, tone, and overall temperament changes depending on how verbal or nonverbal a class is.  I use the messages I receive from the classes to determine how I should respond. That is a big part of communication: being able to not only receive messages from the audience, but also responding appropriately. 

Here's to a fun, engaging quarter focused on bettering ourselves as communicators!