Chapter 1 - Introduction to Interpersonal Communication

Introduction

Communication: "the imparting or exchanging of information or news." (Oxford Languages)

It's safe to say that we've all communicated in our lives. From the very moment we're born, we can use our voices and bodies to communicate with our mothers. At around 3 months old, our verbal communication begins to develop, and we start to make out words like "mama" and "dada." Over the first year of our lives, we pick up on the words we hear from the people around us, and at 12 months, we can expect to say our first words. 

    My first word was cheese; it sounded more like "cheethe," but it was an achievement none the less. I picked it up from my mom having us say cheese when we would take pictures. When she heard me say it, I was playing with her camera, and pretending to take a picture of myself. I had seen my mom using the camera, and heard her ask us to say cheese, and I watched her and learned to recreate it. 

    Communication, like with others, has been very important in my life. I've used it in my academics, and throughout my experience in scouting. In order to achieve BSA's highest rank of Eagle Scout, I've learned to expand my communication skills to lead and collaborate with my fellow scouts. I've come a long way from "cheethe," and I can't wait to go further.