Having a conversation @VickiBatman #foreignlanguage #makingfriends #MFRWorg

Recently, I was out of town with Handsome. While he was attending to business, I waited for him in the lobby. I stuck in my headphones to listen to Chris Botti and began embroidering a special gift. As he was ushered back, a man across the way said something like "you don't go?"


Since I wasn't sure I heard him correctly, I took out my earbuds and walked over to him. He was an elderly guy and having men in my life who couldn't hear well, I am a little sensitive in talking with people so they can hear. I said, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you."


He pointed in the direction Handsome had gone and said, "Don't go?"


I must have looked puzzled. "No. It's okay to wait."


He asked, "You speak Spanish?"


I do not speak Spanish. I know French. Nine years worth. After all that time, you'd think I was an expert at the language. However, like most things, it's only good if you practice. Like I used it when in France. There's not much reason to speak French where I live. Spanish and French, being romance languages, have similar words. That's probably why I can read some Spanish.


That said, I did learn a bit of Spanish, the first grade stuff-numbers, colors and everyday things. So I said to the nice man, "Uno. Dos. Tres."


We laughed. He indicated the handiwork and I said, "Embroidery."


He nodded.


I asked if his wife was sick. He said tests.


He asked if I have children. I said, "Dos. Ninos."


He informed me he had eight grandchildren. I understood.


He asked, "Glasses?"


"Contacts."


And then his wife and another man came. He left.


Neither of us spoke different languages well, but we somehow understood each other. I thought that was cool.


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Do you speak another language?