What a sweet sticker!

Interpretation is a key component of effective communicating. For example, recently, a 4th grade student was accused, by his peers, of ripping his friend's t-shirt because he deliberately wanted to get detention. "That can't be right," my friend, Geri thought, and investigated the matter. Taking the perpetrator into the hallway, she said, "Student X, did you rip Victim #1's shirt because you deliberately wanted detention?" Student X looked baffled. "No," he protested. "Well then...why did you rip Victim #1's shirt," Geri inquired. "I wanted to get his attention," the wardrobe mangler finally admitted.

And if verbal exchanges can be confusing enough, written messages can sometimes be even worse! My mother is renowned for decorating her specially-selected greeting cards with just-right-for-the-occasion stickers. Nine or ninety...if you're celebrating something...there exists the perfect sticker. Except this time, I don't think my mom realized just how perfect her sticker was.

Savannah just graduated, with honors (and the ego that accompanies that title), from RIT. To commemorate this auspicious event, Grandma and Grandpa, of course, gave her a card. Savannah was touched. I glanced in it and about split my pants laughing. "What," Savannah snapped, snatching back her beloved card. "The sticker..." I gasped, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Savannah scanned her card, searching for the source of my amusement. "It says Way to Go...what's so funny about that?" I could barely talk at this point..."Say the character...say the character!" Reading slowly, Savannah recited the message of the sticker, "Way to go, Dumbo."