Eliza Thornberry's Choice: Animals or Languages?

The Language We Choose

Question of the week:

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Do you know Eliza Thornberry?

She was a character on the Nickelodeon show, The Wild Thornberrys. The show ran from 1998 to 2004. I remember watching in the late 90’s and believing that it was possible to do what Eliza Thornberry was doing…

From what I remember, the Thornberrys were a family that filmed a nature show. I wouldn’t have said this as a kid, but it was like they were documenting nature so kids would get inspired. The real reason why we watched this show on Nickelodeon, is because they made us believe that we could be like Eliza Thornberry - she could talk to animals and that’s what I believed could be possible.

This question has been bouncing around in my mind all week - would I rather speak to animals or fluently speak 3 languages? On the surface, it seems like a simple choice between something magical and something practical. But as I've sat with it, I've realized it reveals much more about how we view connection, understanding, and what we value in communication.

Speaking with animals offers something we can only imagine - crossing a boundary that has existed since the beginning of time. What would my dog actually say if we could have a conversation? What secrets might the birds outside my window share about their view of our world? What wisdom might exist in creatures who experience life so differently than we do?

On the other hand, speaking three languages fluently would open doors to human cultures, literature, and perspectives that remain partially closed to me now. It would be like gaining access to entire worlds of human experience that currently exist just beyond my reach.

What fascinates me most about this question is how it reveals what we believe about understanding and connection. Do we hunger more for connection with the non-human world or deeper connection with more of humanity?

For educators: How might your teaching change if you could truly understand what your students aren't saying? Whether it's the unspoken language of behavior or the cultural contexts that shape their expression, what "translations" might help you connect more effectively?

For those on a spiritual journey: Many traditions speak of understanding the "language of creation" or hearing God's voice in unexpected places. What voices might you be missing because you lack the language to understand them?

I'm curious - which would you choose? And more importantly, why? What does your answer reveal about where you feel most disconnected in your life?

Perhaps the deepest truth is that we're all constantly translating - trying to understand worlds beyond our immediate experience. Whether across species or cultures, the desire to connect beyond our limitations seems fundamentally human.

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I don't claim to know everything or get everything right. What I do have is a desire to create space for meaningful reflection. Because sometimes the most illuminating insights come from the most unexpected sources – even observations from a nobody.

Much grace and peace,

Andrew – a nobody.