Dear Humans,

Without language, the world wouldn’t make much sense. But often times (especially when you’re a kid), words can be confusing.

When I was a kid, the news bombarded me with words, names, and places that I didn’t even half-understand: Watergate and Whitewater, Mogadishu and Montenegro, Tienanmen Square and the Berlin Wall.

You’re probably in the same boat (but with way more news sources than just Tom Brokaw), confused about Quds and Kurds, Iran and Iraq, and Burisma and Butina.

Well, it doesn’t get any easier. But looking for the big picture helps. If you think of reality as a giant jigsaw puzzle (with lots of different pictures) and each of these words as a piece, then you can start to snap them into place.

Sincerely,

Mr. Heimbuck