The limits of my language are the limits of my world. I remember an English professor sharing that with me at Utah State. I have thought about that as I now live in a world of words and sounds that I don't understand. In some ways it is a beautiful thing like observing someone else's life set to music. Watching a young family laugh and play by the lake not distracted by knowing the words that are said, enhances the whole of the experience and then the laughter and cries that are universal. I pause as I take a deep breathe both to take it all in, check to see if it is real, and anchor me. I sit by lake Zug reading an artticle for school when I stumble across these words, "Language helps us construct our world---lighting the way forward.". The other side of hearing another language is the feeling of being lost. I have found kind people who are patient with my lack of German but a bit like being underwater and trying to communicate with those above.
With a pocket of change I went into the shop at the train station to buy something to eat I hand the clerk a coin with a 5 on it, thinking it might be 5 dollars. I asked her if she spoke English and she shook her head but looked at my coin like she was thinking....and what else. I quickly figured that it must have been 5 cents I got the right amount. I smiled and laughed, knowing how expensive it is in Switzerland that my first purchase I tried to buy a snack for 5 cents!
I took the train, bus, walk to IKEA with a new teacher named Kat. It was a day of getting lost and feeling overwhelmed. We just made the last bus that would take us to IKEA and we had to pay. I didn't have any large coins and grabbed a handful of smaller ones and began to get a little flustered and confused-- I finally looked up at the bus driver with, probably eyes on the verge of a melt down, and just held out my hand and he counted out what I needed. Nothing like a dose of humility to KEEP IT REAL here. I have thought since, that it is funny that I
am coming here to teach Kindergarten and in some ways I am that little one finding my way. I won't lie somedays it would be nice to have a note pinned to my shirt from my mom-- telling them I need it.
In contrast to the challenge of a new place and language is the beauty. I am struck by the contrast and again am reminded of a student's thoughts that fit here: The roses from Esperanza Rising symbolizes that life cannot go without problems. That there is bitterness and sweetness, light and darkness, that a rose cannot lives without thorns, just like life cannot work without problems. That out of the terrible comes wonderful and out of the wonderful comes terrible. A rose could not live without it's thorns,--- Emily
With these thoughts of language I keep thinking of the Language of the Spirit, while I am limited with my German, I think of the understanding that spiritual fluency can take me-- toward heaven. I think again about how the limits of my language are the limits of my world. Wow, I see now how important that spiritual fluency is in our journey here and thinking of this with my feet in a new place gives me a new perspective. Also a feel of need for spiritual fluency comes with these new eyes. My thoughts of what matters most become clearer, that of our spiritual growth and progression. So maybe I uncovered a big idea for me-- progressing pushes us to discover what matters most. In Hebrew joy means progressing!
There are so many flowers here! The bakery with it's window boxes overflowing. The gardens and everything so green. I went for a run and have to stop and again take it all in.
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