As humans, we often think of ourselves and the world around us in binaries, even when we affirm the existence of spectrums. There are gray areas, but it is easier to speak in black and white, from a bird’s eye view, than to get into the nitty gritty of color theory and palettes in everyday discussion. There is a time and place for everything, for if we always acknowledge and analyze the minutia we will never make a decision. We can never know everything. But what we need to know can be taught or caught. Some things we learn by straightforward instruction, other things by watching a skilled expert, and many are learned step-by-step with a mix of both. All I know is, we’re never truly alone when we learn. Someone went before us, and our brains are hard at work.
And how is it our brains are working? How do they take in new information in a usable fashion? One popular explanation says the left side of our brain is more logic-oriented, while the right side is more creative and intuitive.1 We are always using both sides at the same time, but certain tasks and certain personalities may tend toward one or the other. Still, the right-brain is what developed first; it is how we feel and know our inner selves and perceive non-verbal nuances. “It is where we wonder, dream, connect, and come alive.”2 The left-brain is how we understand, plan, and communicate with clarity.
In science, language is associated with the left-brain–with the higher, logical, analytical cognitive functions. In education, language is considered part of the arts–with beauty and creativity and heart. Language is both, of course, and both are vital to our growth.
When we tell a story, do we want to convey facts or feelings more? A moving story interlaces both.So what must we do when we want to truly learn something? To not just know it intellectually but know it in our soul like the voice of a close friend or a painting we could recreate from careful study and memory. Like a poem we love to recite or steps to a dance that are no longer rote or jilted but feel natural and free after hours of practice.
When we want to truly know something (saber y conocer para mis amigos hispanos), let us use both. Thus, to know what hope is, we need not a dictionary but rather a lyrical lexicon. Something as creatively complex as our souls. Definitions and stories, synonyms and poetry, logic and artistry. These writings I hope entwine entertainment with information, inspiration with education, understanding with action. I hope that lives may be bettered as mine has been in the writing of them. For what is it we want more than to know who we are and what we’re here for? What are words if they do not connect one soul to another? If they do not give meaning to our being?
A lyrical lexicon
Words that give a new perspective on
Life and all its intricacies
The truth about relational freedom and intimacy
Diversity and commonalities.
Bridging the gap of uncertainties.
Not your standard definitions
It’s understanding with a rhythm
Mind and heart
Logic and art
Working together, doing their part
Toward wholeness
Toward peace.
Free to just be.
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/left-brain-vs-right-brain-70932572 https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/childrens-health-wellness/the-right-brain-develops-first-why-play-is-the-foundation-for-academic-learning.html ↩︎
- https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/childrens-health-wellness/the-right-brain-develops-first-why-play-is-the-foundation-for-academic-learning.html ↩︎