Blog 3: Let there be music.

     Today I arrived into an equally chaotic setting as the first time. I was informed that today I would be working in the dining area, cleaning and resetting tables. I was excited to hold longer conversations with the people, and also get to witness some of their body language. I was surprised to see several people carry in their possessions. One person even carried in a guitar. I watched as this man shared his guitar with a stranger who could also play, and together they sang and harmonized. Then, the guitar was passed back to its owner, and the man played a song of his own that he wrote about his life story. Many more people came and went, and shared about their successes and failures, getting jobs or losing jobs, finding a place to live or losing their home, and friends and family.
     I couldn't help but notice the difference in language we had today. People were using different expressions and words I had never heard of. They all seemed to understand each other, but I was definitely in the out-group. I tried to share conversation with them, but I also began to use words and phrases with which they were unfamiliar. I believe part of this had to do with perception. We had come from different backgrounds and different lifestyles, and therefore communicated in different ways and about different things.  I started to catch on to their language by the end of the day, and adapt to their differing usage of words.
     I saw a lot of emotion today, particularly by those playing music. There were a few tears shed, and laughter that was shared. These emotions were mostly visible through body language, more than speech. You could tell when something sparked an emotion in the music based upon their reaction: sitting up, slouching, covering their mouth or eyes, or smiling. These emotions helped us relate to one another, and helped us participate in more active communication. I also witnessed varying degrees of listening styles and abilities. Some people were not receiving messages that were being communicated to them, but most people were very receptive, particularly when emotions became more heavily involved.
     Today I learned that people all communicate in very different ways, and it involves a great deal of active listening to comprehend what people are saying. I had to improve my attention span and shut off the noise in my mind to sort out their use of language, as did they for me. I had to look at things through their eyes and communication style to more effectively communicate. I also learned how relating to other people's emotions, and high levels of disclosure (in some situations) are very helpful in developing good communication. When a person was shut off to emotion, they were also shut off to communication. This showed me how important it is to not overly self-monitor, and to share, as well as empathize with other's, emotions. I learned to use body language to help me decipher what they were communicating, particularly because of the language barrier. These are all useful skills to a social worker as well, and also for use in my everyday life.

Mikka Rose
10/31/12