The Need to Speak

I had a thought today as I was walking home from my ASL class. I had just spent about an hour talking and asking questions using my hands and face, and I was in the process of texting my younger brother. There are SO MANY ways that it's possible for us to communicate! Some stuff, like texting, videochats, email, movies, and facebook have only been available in the past 100 years of human history. Some things seem like more eternal ways of communicating: speaking, writing, singing, creating pictures, dancing, etc. It's astounding to think about the human need for expression. Granted, I haven't met everyone, but it seems like every person has some way that they use to express themselves. That common urge to share, to express, to ask, and to react is amazing. There's a lot more to learn about communication (purposes, means, etc), and in my major I'll be learning as much as I can. Today, I was deeply impressed by thinking about communication as a basic human need and deed, and that seems like a good starting point.