I’ve found over the years that words are both very powerful and very delicate.  Words like hate and love can be used very cavalierly to emphasize a point or they can be used with such power.  Then, there are words that we don’t always understand.  Someone can use a word above our vocabulary to make us feel inferior or they can use a word in a slightly different dialect to confuse the ear.  Then there’s the first time we use our words.  This is an interesting time when we’re not really sure we’re using them correctly but we find that communicating with words is easier than with gestures and grunts.  Ryan’s clearly entered this stage.  He has a strong command over 30 or so words (his favorite being no) but he’s not clearly on probably a hundred or so more.  For example, if you ask Ryan to hand you a hammer, you may get a hammer or you may get a shoe.  If you ask Ryan to look at the fox over there you very likely will get something much more X rated.  These are indeed funny times.