When communication isn't the answer...

He who thinks by the inch and talks by the yard deserves to be kicked by the foot.

Biblical text: A fool's lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating. (Proverbs 18:6 NIV).

What must surely be one of the most frustrating conversations in history was reported in Theatre Arts magazine. A subscriber, desiring to report on a particular upcoming event in his community, dialled "Information" to get the magazine's telephone number.

The operator drawled, "Sorry, but there is nobody listed by the name of 'Theodore Arts.'"

The subscriber insisted: "It's not a person; it's a publication. I want Theatre Arts."The operator responded, this time a little louder. "I told you, we have no listing for Theodore Arts in this city. Perhaps he lives in another city."

By now the subscriber was thoroughly peeved. "Confound it, the word is Theatre: T-H-E-A-T-R-E!"

The operator came back with certainty in her voice, "That's not the way to spell Theodore."

Sometimes there's just no communicating with someone who refuses to hear you, who seems unwilling to understand your point of view, or who simply "doesn't get" what you are trying to say. Rather than give that person a real kick, however, better to hang up and try dialling someone who can hear you and does understand!