This post isn't so much about words as the lack of words. I often feel like my communication attempts here are like one big word game. It's some combination of charades, Pictionary, and Taboo. But since the other people don't really know what the game is, it's a bit of a head-scratcher for them.
It happened again during our plumbing upheaval. We were at a shop, trying to buy the right parts. I wanted to ask if they had a fitting made of strong metal. Except I forgot the word for metal. So I went around the shop tapping on all the metal things I could find and saying, "like this [doorknob]…like this [washer]…see, not wood, like this [a wrench]…like this [chair legs]…" You get the idea. Still, I don't think the shopkeeper ever really understood what I was getting at. We ended up with a part made out of PVC.
It's not very funny when you're in the situation and your yard is probably flooding at home. Scenes like this are probably pretty comical, though, if I can take a step back and try looking at it from a third-person perspective.
