to
tuː
Why kindness needs an arrow
The picture An arrow travels along a line and taps the far end. What matters is not the journey but the point it touches. FROM pulls away from a starting point; TO travels until it touches the far end.
Where the picture shows up in to
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the place it lands
Take this box to the third floor.
teɪk ðɪs bɑːks tuː ðə θɜːrd flɔːr
Carry this box until it reaches the third floor.
The box leaves your hands and comes to rest on the third floor.
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the hand that receives
Please hand the form to the nurse.
pliːz hænd ðə fɔːrm tuː ðə nɜːrs
Put this form into the nurse's hands.
The form crosses the air and lands on someone else's open palm.
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the end of a stretch of time
The shop is open from nine to six.
ðə ʃɑːp ɪz ˈoʊpən frʌm naɪn tuː sɪks
The open hours start at nine and run until they touch six.
The bar of hours stops dead at six, where a nail is driven in.
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the person your feeling reaches
She was very kind to the customers.
ʃiː wʌz ˈveri kaɪnd tuː ðə ˈkʌstəmərz
Her kindness travelled across the counter and landed on the customers.
Warmth travels across the counter and settles on the customer.
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two surfaces brought together
Attach the receipt to the invoice.
əˈtætʃ ðə rɪˈsiːt tuː ðə ˈɪnvɔɪs
Fix the receipt onto the invoice so the two stay joined.
Two sheets are pressed face to face until they behave like one.
All of it in one picture
TO is an arrow that lands. Land it on a floor and you get a destination; land it in someone's hand and you get a handover. Land it on a clock and you get a closing time, land it on a person's feelings and you get an attitude, land it on paper and you get one thing stuck to another. Wherever TO appears, a far end is waiting to be touched.