What's in a Name?

Camel Crickets are of the family Rhaphidophoridae.  Looks to me like the name says they are fast -- and they can be if you are trying to catch them for fish bait.  I grew up calling them "Sand Crickets" although that is commonly associated with "Jerusalem Crickets" which are something entirely different.

Regional differences, ignorance, folklore and other "fuzzy logic" sometimes causes confusion when it comes to naming things.  My dad, who was exceptionally intelligent, had names for things which didn't coincide with what the books said.  My grandfather on the other side of the family was the same way.  Dad grew up in southwestern Oklahoma whereas my grandfather was from Central Missouri.  Their early years formed much of their thinking and nomenclature on certain things.

That is a small piece of what causes differences in our views of what should be, what is and what was.  We may speak the same words but mean totally different things.  Unless we take the time to understand those differences which arise from varying experiences and education, we exacerbate the tendency to believe someone else is wrong and we are right.  It could be we are both thinking similarly but using different words to describe our thoughts.

We all need to spend more time seeking understanding and less time proving someone else doesn't know what they are talking about.