Une deuxième langue

It's been a while since I've blogged. Hello again!

My French is getting so much better.  I am starting to feel like I am in on the action - a real, functioning member of society.  When announcements are made in public places, I can understand them and react accordingly.  Yesterday, when my the train conductor announced that the train for my commute home était en retard indéterminé I was able to hop off and go catch the other train that stops in Fontainebleau.  When I walk by a group of people I can often understand the snippets of conversation I hear.  It amazes me to no end.  If I am searching for something specific in a store, I can ask the shop assistant about it.  I got a haircut and was able to communicate what I wanted in French, and afterward I gave directions to a French couple looking for parking in Fonty!  And they understood me!  It was beautiful!   I can't even describe how wonderful it feels to speak and understand these foreign words!  It. Feels. Amazing! AMAZING!  I could skip down the sidewalks, cheering in celebration.  Just a few months ago I was fearing all French language interaction and becoming instantly blocked when someone approached me on the street asking for directions, always giving the "je ne parle pas le français" response, but something has recently clicked in me, and now I see every little interaction as a chance to practice speaking and understanding the language.  It's as much due to the realization that "I have to just dive in - I am going to make mistakes but I can't care about it - I have to at least try" as it is to actual language improvement. 

I also now have great empathy for people who are learning to speak English.  Most of the time if someone asks me for directions, I can't help them, or ask them to repeat what they said, and usually they hear my halting speech and accent and ask if I speak French.  "Un peu" is not enough for them, so they say nevermind and look for the next person for help.  But these people aren't being rude, I have to believe that they aren't "neverminding" me because they are annoyed I don't speak French.  They just have a place they are looking for, and they don't have time to wait for me to put together a response.  It's nothing personal.  I know that it's probably what I would have done in their situation.  But now, I hope that if I ever find myself in their situation I will remember to have patience and let the other person try to formulate a response.  Because I know it will make them feel good.  And even if it isn't really a helpful response, I will smile and thank them very graciously anyway.  Because I know that it will make them feel great.