Verb: To Grok

Harshaw thought the interview was over and felt relieved.  He had not been so embarrassed since a day long gone when his father had explained the birds and the bees and the flowers-much too late.

            But the Man from Mars was not yet done.  “Jubal my brother, you were ask me, ‘Who made the World?’ and I did not have words why I did not grok it rightly to be a question.  I have been thinking words.”

            “So?”

            “You told me ‘God made the World.’”

            “No, no!” Harshaw said.  “I told you that, while religions said many things, most of them said, ‘God made the World.’  I told you that I did not grok the fullness, but that ‘God’ was the word that was used.”

            “Yes, Jubal,” Mike agreed.  “Word is ‘God.’”  He added, “You grok.”

            “I must admit I don’t grok.”

            “You grok,” Smith repeated firmly.  “I am explain.  I did not have the word.  You grok.  Anne groks.  I grok.  The grasses under my feet grok in happy beauty.  But I needed the word.  The word is God.”

            “Go ahead.”

            Mike pointed triumphantly at Jubal.  “Thou art God!”

            Jubal slapped a hand to his face.  “Oh, Jesus H.- what have I done?...”

Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein

I’m happy to report that thus far, I am thoroughly enjoying Mike trying to learn to be a man and talk to earthlings.  Sometimes it is just too funny for words.  I had a hard time deciding which quote to use but chose this one for obvious reasons.  I can't wait for this week's review.

Also, To Grok is an actual word in actual dictionaries.  Coined by R.A.H. and probably my very favorite of his inventions.