I came across this during one of my many wanderings through sites related to Covid. We are supposed to – and were once – an embodiment of light. We are now harbingers of doom in so far as we do not respect our humanity and unique soul ‘made in the image of God’. I love these sorts of memes.

Today I had a chat with my vicar, Rev. Adam Pitt, of All Saints Church, Paulton at the regular coffee morning that I attend Tuesdays. We do not see eye to eye on everything but I suddenly thought of us talking and wondered about the difference between talking and speaking. This led to a good discussion which I said I would follow up.

This is the email I just sent to him:

Talking – to exchange thoughts and opinions. covers a wide variety of methodology

Speaking – to convey information in a formal way, I must speak to x about Y – more one way?

Speaking up – either more volume or becoming courageous or outspoken

Having a word with – also to convey information, to give advice, to keep informed

Having words with – to reprimand or chastise with an element of anger attached. ‘They had words’

An address – to aim, to guide, to direct in a formal or old-fashioned way. ‘He addressed the group’

Having a chat – informal, passing the time, includes gossip

An oration – a formal speech made in public

A eulogy – speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something

Airing – getting something off your chest, raising a problem that may have been hidden

Ventilating or voicing – expressing an inner situation that may be troubling

Spouting – to utter a great volume of material, but not necessarily coherent or correct

Blabbering, Jabbering – constant talking without discipline or entertaining another view

Gossiping – to relate sometimes questionable or secret information of a personal nature

I am now pondering about how much of each I do in my daily life.

This morning I received a Government notification of the possibility of power cuts. They are supposed to be rotating, and last for three hours. You know which area you are in through the code on your electricity bill (though I have yet to test this out). It looks like cuts in January and February, as we had not enough to worry about.

Finally in this miscellany, listen to Martha Argerich, playing piano at around the age of 80. How does she manage. You think YOU are old?