Using the right (and best) word to convey an idea, concept or emotion has always been a passion of mine. I have never talked down to my children and have strongly encouraged them to always ask what a word means if they don't understand it. I have, at times, read the books of certain authors with a dictionary at my side. I am always on the lookout for a new word that more eloquently expresses a thought by the use of a few obscure syllables (why use a paragraph when a single word will do).
On occasion, I have caught flack for this. A dear friend from a former time used to complain that a dictionary and thesaurus was needed anytime I posted a message or sent an email. I also had someone at a family gathering sneer at my manner of communicating and suggest that I was, in effect, "putting on airs." Of course anyone who actually knows me understands that this is the way I talk. It has nothing to do with snobbery and everything with effective communication. Elegance, eloquence and effectiveness in communication is one of the greatest legacies I can leave my children. Understanding how to use words will take you far in this world.
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