Things which I say that might be confusing to others

I was just thinking -- I communicate a lot in ways that assume cultural knowledge. This works great among people who share that same cultural knowledge, and less well among people who don't. There was a time in my LJ, a while back, when we were discussing the mental effects that poverty has on people, and someone else, also an American Jew of Ashkenazic descent, made the comment, "There's no shame in being poor . . . "

Another friend, who hangs out a lot with Ashkenazic Jews, but who is, himself, of Romany descent, I believe, took some exception to that, pointing out that, while MORALLY that statement is correct, many people DO feel shame about poverty. Which is absolutely true.

The thing is, the comment that the first person made is half of a quote which he knew I'd be familiar with -- it's from the Sholom Alechem stories of Tevye the Milkman, in which he says, "God, there's no shame in being poor, but it's no great honor, either." It's actually an ironic quote making exactly the point that the second friend was making. But the lack of the cultural referent made the comment appear to say the exact opposite of what it was intended to say.

So I was just thinking about another quote which I use, and it comes from the following story.

The Count of the county hated the Jews who lived in his domain, and especially the rabbi, who had a reputation as a great and wise man. So the count called the rabbi to him, and said, "I have heard that you are a great teacher."

The rabbi agreed that there were those who had called him so.

"Well," the count said, "This is my smartest horse. If you are such a great teacher, then teach this horse to sing. If you can't, I know that those Jews who have called you a great teacher are liars, and I won't have them in my domain. Teach the horse to sing, or I'll expel all of you from my lands."

The rabbi said, "I will gladly take your horse as a student. Yet, you understand that such a thing is difficult. I will need one full year to teach your horse to sing. You must allow me that time." And the count agreed.

The rabbi returned to his village leading the horse, and told the other villagers what had happened. They were distraught.

"Rabbi", they said, "this task is impossible! What difference does it make if we are expelled now, or a year from now?"

"Well," said the rabbi, "a lot can happen in the year. Perhaps the Count will die. Perhaps I will die, perhaps the horse will die. And, who knows, maybe the horse will sing."

"Who knows, maybe the horse will sing," is a statement that is part of my lexicon. It means that one is taking a longshot bet, because one really has no other option. You hope that SOMETHING good, or at least, survivable, will come out of it, even if the thing that you're TRYING to do is very unlikely.

Because, y'know, who knows? Maybe the horse will sing.