Short and Sweet

I don’t think I’ve told you how much I like the English language, have I?

Well, sometimes it’s hard to get a reason that sticks…

Hmm, let me try to narrow down my reason to one word: jam.

You just re-read that word, right?

Ten points for paying attention.

Here’s why this one word represents what I like about the English language:

You see, you can jam a finger and have toe jam at the same time, but the two have nothing in common other than their location in one of your extremities. You can have and eat strawberry jam (I recommend it with peanut butter on whole wheat bread) without worrying about consuming a finger or a toe. Jam has nothing to do with cannibalism.

If you’re jamming at a party, you’re probably having a great time. But if you’re jamming junk into storage containers or jamming a suitcase into the overhead on your flight, you’re probably having a horrible time.

Despite what you might think, being stuck in a jam doesn’t mean you’re surrounded by smushed fruit. You might be on a plane or at a party, but the jam would probably have nothing to do with the overhead storage or the choice of music.   

Then there are paper jams, which are by far one of the worst possible things that can happen when you're running late for a class, and you have an essay due that day.

If you are running late for class, traffic jams can cause problems, too. And those kinds of jams have nothing to do with strawberries or fingers. Or blackberries or toes. Or parties or flying.

Have I ever told you how much I like the English language?