Lost in Translation

Henry blew his wife a kiss and walked out the door. The elderly man was running out to pick up a few items from the grocery store for dinner that…

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

The Declaration of Independence is easily the most well-known document in American history, right?

Not so fast….

As promised, Jessica brought her new boyfriend, Dylan, by the house to meet her parents on Friday evening. When they opened the front door, mom and dad weren’t exactly thrilled by the young man standing on their doorstep.

What you say is very important. But how you say it is also very important. In fact, the meaning of what you say can be changed by how you say it!

Want proof? Just look at this simple sentence.

What would you do if you were a UFC fighter who just won a vicious cage match against a dangerous opponent? Celebrate? Pass out? Mention Jesus in the post-fight interview?

Yoel Romero went with the Jesus option…and took his worst shots of the night because of it.

We’ve all come home from doctor visits only to be greeted by our family members wanting an answer to the same question: What did the doctor say?

But after years of experience, I’ve come to learn that what the doctor “says” and what the doctor “means” are completely different.

John and Lisa were beside themselves with delight when they brought home their first child from the hospital. Little Katy was full of smiles and lovable grunts, and her parents ate it up.

Of course, Katy would come with responsibilities, too.

An old sea story tells of a ship’s captain who inspected his sailors, and afterward, told the first mate that his men smelled terrible. The captain suggested the sailors change their underwear occasionally.