I was recently searching for Pagan articles and found one of my own, linked to from a variety of surprising Pagan places. The role of Timbits in Pagan ceremonies and spirituality is a story I wrote for SooToday.com about a year and a half ago and in it I was very careful to fully explain paganism as well as I could. I tried to leave nothing to assumption. What I missed was the ultra-obvious.
The question we got most in feedback from the article was, 'What is a Timbit?'
Living in Canada and writing for Canadians, I thought we all knew what Timbits were. Wow, was I wrong. Something I assumed was as obvious and clear as water to a fish was a foreign concept to many American and European readers I never expected to read the article. It turned out that explaining water to birds was easier than expected and it's that much more funny that I didn't do it in the first place.
This lesson seems to be more universal than it appears, too.
It sort of boils down to a Benny Hill saying... never assume. It makes and Ass of you and me.
Reminder to me: don't assume people know what I am talking about and don't assume they are thinking like me. Not even the people closest to me.
Besides, asking how my loved ones feel or what they are thinking these days is a pretty sure bet for snuggles, kisses and hugs!
It's so nice to see you blogging again! In other news, now that my life is my own again, we should hang out sometime soon. Maybe a movie night?