Of Killer Whales and Bottle-nosed Dolphins

Let's Talk

“They say it's a lost art

But let's talk

Not of meanings and notions

No deep undercurrents of emotion

Just plain simple talk

How have you been

How's the family

I miss you

The words may be simple

But they carry weight

And for better or worse

They're all that we have

So next time you see me

Even if it's only for a moment

Let's talk.”

Ian Philips (“Let's Talk”)

One of the greatest betrayals of our technological age is the lost art of conversation. I remember, before cell phones, days spent in long, funny, and at times, earnest, talk-talk-talk, interspersed with laughter and story-telling. Nowadays, it's not unusual to look around a gathered group and see two or three people who have checked out of the communal discussion while they stare at their phones. Playing games, checking social media, running videos, or monologues of late-night comics—which may be entertaining, but lack the warmth and connection of face-to-face, or even ear-to-ear telephone conversations. One of the primary human qualities is the ability to connect through language; when we lose that, we will be greatly diminished.

My son, Jake, told me yesterday about a documentary he watched on one of the nature channels--The Blue Planet. One segment was about killer whales and bottle-nosed dolphins, and their communication. He described the footage of their community gathering; of how clear it was that they were talking to each other, and that they were familiar with one another. They showed obvious joy at their reunion.

Conversation and shared experience are ways we create community. Here is a wonderful description of community from Wendell Berry: “A community is the mental and spiritual condition of knowing that the place is shared, and that the people who share the place define and limit the possibilities of each other's lives. It is the knowledge that people have each other, their concern for each other, their trust in each other, and the freedom with which they come and go among themselves.” Our ability to communicate through words and actions is the glue that holds such communities together. Apparently killer whales and bottle-nosed dolphins know this and rejoice in it. So should we.

                                                            In the Spirit,

                                                                Jane