Re: Fluency in one's language, and the ROE

Sally Caves wrote:

> Shall we invent an expression for the resistant outsider?  I just had
> another
> resistant outsider encounter (ROE) when I disclosed my Secret Vice...
> which is
> rapidly becoming not so secret.
>
> ROE:  Why would you want to do that?
> Me:  For the intellectual challenge, for the beauty.
> ROE:  But you could do other things.  That people could understand.
> Me:  There's a whole society of us who communicate about this.
> ROE:  But why?  What's the point?
> Me:  What's the point of making model railroads?
> ROE:  But other people can see them.
> Me:  That's true... a language is kind of invisible.  But it has aural
> beauty.
> ROE:  But it's meaningless unless somebody else understands what you're
> saying.
> Me:  Well, it's like making a system.  A logical system.  A system of
> meanings.       Like making maps.  Like designing cities.
> ROE:  I can understand a map.  But I can't understand this.  Does
> anybody else
>         speak your language with you?
> Me:  No.
> ROE:  Then I don't understand why you do it.
> Me:  I wrote an article about it.
> ROE:  You'd better show it to me!
>
> (I think I might have a convert here!  Want to bet?  <G>
LOL! Personally, I stay in the conlanging closet. It's bad enough telling
them I'm pagan _and_ gay....

Dan