COLUMN: The Power of Language

From Sonja Stumacher's, "Fragments of the Sun," Fall '95 Certain utterances provide pathways leading into the hearts of others, creating a connection and bridging the immeasurable gap existing between two people. Language invites one to interpret the inner workings of another human being. Language transgresses the dividing lines of nations and cultures; it breaches the very notion of human life and survives the bitterest of struggles. The weight of our words falls upon our own shoulders, like the droplets of a rain storm pouring into the ground, drenching the thick mulch of our lives and soaking the dry dust of our world. Language serves as a cleansing tool, and for this reason we need to choose our words carefully, speaking from the heart, speaking from the center of our beings and clearly opening ourselves for the comprehension of others. Yet most importantly, we need to realize that our particular vernacular is not the only one worth knowing. English is only one of many tongues spoken in our world. If you go through your life and speak only one language, think of how much you are missing. Think of how many barriers you have created by closing your mind to the beauty and contrast of diversity. Think of those whom you will never know, never understand and never appreciate. I have just returned from a land where initially I spoke little of the native language. Reducing yourself to raw communication skills is a humbling and often terrifying experience. The truth is, mere words form only the surface of an expansive culture of thoughts, ideas, expressions and dreams. As soon as you realize this, the process of learning to convey the material of your heart using an unfamiliar set of terms is not so scary. It becomes an inspiring passageway of discovery where at each turn you see a new array of faces and personalities. Although I considered myself relatively aware of the differences existing between cultures prior to my departure for northern Italy, I finally learned upon my arrival what an astoundingly varied world exists beyond the boundaries of American civilization. One of the many things that struck me was the normalcy with which the people of Italy regard foreign language acquisition. In America, although we are for the most part required to study at least one language beyond English, the ability to speak a foreign dialect is the exception rather than the rule. I was unprepared for the profound history and maturity of art and culture that I found in a country older than ours. There is something comforting in knowing that life in Italy has remained more or less consistent throughout the years. Although Italy's government has undergone a huge number of changes, a feeling of wisdom and tranquility has pervaded the endless fluctuation of the nation's administration. To contrast Italy with America, we might regard each country as a metaphor for a human being. Italy would probably fill the worn shoes of a matured woman, while America would most likely fill the new and shiny ones of an adolescent. Italy has lived a longer life, witnessed more suffering and also more beauty. She has found the value of reducing anxiety and increasing the appreciation for an aesthetic life. America, on the other hand, has the spirit and enthusiasm of an idealistic child who believes the world is a lump of clay from which she may form any figure she wishes. She lives life in the fast lane, staying at work late and blazing the trail of guaranteed future success. But America ignores her own pain, ignores the need of a good night's sleep, the need for art and for creativity. I am not one to judge which life is better. But I will say that these are realizations I would never have discovered, or been able to reinforce with actual experience, had I not chosen to broaden the range of my vision by studying abroad. Language itself serves as an invitation into the rest of the world, and I cannot express how strongly I hope that others will continue to open their eyes to the experience. Learning Italian became, for me, a gateway into the lives of distinct people. I have always felt that one of the most essential elements of human existence lies in crossing the paths of others, and my experience served only to reinforce this sentiment. Language, as I have learned, extends beyond just words; it incorporates all the culture and tradition of its speakers -- this is why its study is vital. Speech, a metaphor for culture, land, people, and life, is the starting point. Anyone who considers himself or herself an educated person and a citizen of the world must make the effort to venture abroad and study another language. As students, we do have this opportunity. We are not the be all and end all of existence, here. There is an entire open sky of new experience waiting for us, a sky growing dim with the heavy clouds of rainy speech, words gathering together in preparation for the storm of language that falls gently upon the shoulders of the world. "Nobody started it, nobody is going to stop it. It will talk as long as it wants, the rain. As long as it talks, I am going to listen." --Thomas Merton Sonja Stumacher is a English major from Keene, N.H. Name of Column appears alternate Wednesdays.