Yeah, what she said!

"Oh what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day. I got this beautiful feeling, that everything's coming my way." "I've got places to go, people to see, I got a lot of living to do." "Don't tell me not live, I simply got to; if someone takes a spill, it's me and not you; don't bring around the clouds to rain on my parade." "What good is sitting alone in your room, come hear the music play. Life is a Cabaret ole chum, come to the Cabaret."

Ah, the Broadway musical; the soundtrack to our lives. "I hear music and there's no one there." Happy, sad, in love, angry, depressed, motivated. . .there's music and lyric to score the event and emotion. I admit to changing the lyrics, not to fit the event, but just because I can't remember all the words. And, sometimes, it is for the event. It sounds just fine to me and most people don't even notice the difference. Until later, when they hear the words differently; and wonder if I meant to change the words or just didn't know better.

I once typed up song sheets for the family's Christmas caroling. Only my sister-in-law, Bea, caught on that many of the lyrics were "as Coralee hears them" and not as written. Does that mean that we hear what we want to hear or does it mean that we change things to fit our own realities? I'm reminded of Whoppi Goldberg in the film, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" as she tries to decipher Mick Jagger's lyrics. "Come on Mick, what are you saying!

"It's not just in song that we misinterpret the message. That's why they are called "mis-understandings." I tend to over-analyze, intellectualize and try to figure out what you really meant to say when you said something completely different. Yep, that's what I said, read it again.

There is so much danger in analyzing. "Sometimes a ruler is just twelve inches."

While I'm a firm believer in choice and use of words, not everyone else thinks that way nor uses the same point of reference. We all have our language of comfort. A language that provides connection and a sense of commonality. We strive to be "insiders" in these crazy world. We know what we're talking about; the inside joke. Is the outside world so intimidating?

Communicating and really listening is so hard."A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down; in the most delightful way." "Tommy, can you hear me?" "If you could read my mind love, oh the tales the ghosts would tell."