Today’s prompt is What language do you wish you could speak?
If I traveled to France, I’d want to speak French. If I traveled to Mexico, I’d want to speak Spanish. If I traveled to Italy, I’d want to speak Italian. And so on. Wherever I go, I would want to do my best to learn the culture and language. Blend in.
I wouldn’t mind reading a few books in their native language. Voltaire’s Candide, for instance, would be fun to read in French, if I were fluent in French. I’m sure there is a long list of books and plays I would appreciate more if I read them in their originality.
In high school and college, foreign languages interested me so I studied Spanish, Latin, Greek and Russian. I enjoyed those classes, but it wasn’t until years later I realized I just liked having any excuse to write and fill up my notebooks. I learn best through note-taking and repetitious writing, plus I love to write. Fun fact: my handwriting was always much neater when I wrote in a foreign language.
***
Before I was married, I used to read an advice column in the now defunct Minneapolis City Pages. I think the columnist’s name was Carolyn, but I can’t remember and now there is a Carolyn Hax who writes for the Washington Post and I can’t tell if it’s the same Carolyn. I don’t believe so, but they share a similar look.
Anyway…
The Minneapolis Carolyn once wrote that parenthood is like traveling and it was one of those reading moments things that has stuck in my head all these years: parenting is like traveling. Her point was you see nearly everything with new eyes when you become a parent. I read that and I was like “I want that.” I’m 18 years in and still travel this way every day.
Sure, I would love to travel with Jesse in the traditional sense more. But for now (and the next six years) being a parent and learning the languages of my kids is travel enough.
Thank you for reading.
Striving for fluency,
Connie
Connie Kuntz 