What's A Metaphor?

This morning, my wife and I began a conversation about the the care and treatment of our son. As with any discussions about parenthood, this one presented some challenges to our calm and reflective communication styles. While I believe we have done a very effective job of raising our son to the ripe old age of eleven, there are many times and topics that his parents have not seen eye to eye on. Such is the difference between mom and dad.
As we continued to negotiate, our talk spread out to other subjects, and we found ourselves free to chat about all manner of concerns, pressing and otherwise. It was then that I made my bold suggestion: Let's try to have a day free of metaphors. It sounded whimsical at first, but upon reflection, I was struck by just how necessary I find using comparisons or figures of speech to make my point.
I realize that the sheer volume of speech that emanates from me on any given day sometimes puts me in the position to have to make things up, or at least make them more colorful. And by doing this, sometimes I dilute my meaning. My need to be clever often overwhelms my need to be clear.
But not today. Nothing will be "like" or "as". Today things will be what they will be, and that is how I will address them. I may end up with very little to say, much to the relief of those around me. I may find it easier to be understood. If that is the case, then maybe I will be able to give my vocal chords some rest. Maybe I will have something new to share with my son.