My Second Shot
By Gene Aronowitz
When I finished selecting my items at a local organic coffee, nut, and seed store, I approached the check-out counter. The salesperson smiled and said, “Hi, how are you.” I responded, “Never better, just got a second shot.”
I often have a problem being understood as well as understanding. You see, there are multiple definitions for almost every word in the English language. The word “go” has 368 definitions; the word “set” has 430; and “run” has 645. If someone says something to me, I must first determine if the speaker is thoughtful and articulate, and then I have the difficult task of picking the most likely definitions for the spoken words. I have even more difficulty understanding most poetry because metaphors stand symbolically for something else rather than the dictionary definition.
The adjective “second” limited the number of possible meanings for my response, but the salesperson might have thought I meant a second shot of espresso from the free coffee machine located at the other end of the store. But she smiled and replied, “Good for you,” and there was no doubt in my mind that she knew exactly what I meant.
Such was our ability to be understood on September 6, 2021, clarity and comprehension created by a collective COVID-19 consciousness.
