More on small words
A little different from the last post, but still interesting (I hope). Small words. Big big difference! Isn't it strange how they make such a difference. Yes. No. Depending on the question, I guess, those particular small words will have enormous significance. But they are requested - they are answers, so they are not really just words on their own anymore. You have to have the question to go with it too. But the ones I'm talking about now are those other small words that aren't strictly asked for. The ones we don't 'need', the ones that aren't requested or required.
My first year students started their exams yesterday. At Oxford that means that they have to dress in sub fusc, which is a black suit, white bow tie for the guys, black skirt and black ribbon for the gals, with the commoners gown over the top. If it's your first exam of the season, you wear a white carnation, penultimate exam means a pink one, and your last one it's red. The town is littered with flowers and black and white students! (and I think that as a first year lecturer I was just as nervous as they were!) Anyway, one of them sent me a little text message before his exam. It said thank you for teaching them all this year ... and it absolutely made my day. Totally. Makes me smile now. My office-mate is probably wondering why I am grinning at the computer screen. My computer code is broken and I have a conference to stress about, but it still makes me smile.
My flatmate has a similar story, but for her the 'un-needed' words were "Love it!". Short. Sweet. And if the response is anything to go by, just as needed and necessary, as required and rewarding as the other ones we know about. So here's a challenge - go on and say them! Find someone to say thankyou to. Tell someone when you like their work, or when they've done well. Smiling makes you happy. See what happens ... Just a thought :-) K.
- Posted by flyingkiwi on 07/06/2007.
- flyingkiwi's site
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