What are you doing today?

[GaryE]

I love words, but always feel bad I only speak two languages. I met a young Croatian woman last year who was close to perfect in English, but felt it was the weakest of her six languages. I can sort of understand some Spanish, and do okay understanding Italian, but I can't speak either. I wish I could.

An interesting question (to me) is how much understanding or appreciating the words in songs matter to people. I've met a number of people for whom lyrics don't matter in the least.

 

[gwand]

Lyrics really matter to me. Especially when listening to Cameron Winter, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

I've become "near fluent" in a couple languages over the course of my life--German and Haitian--and picked up more than a little Spanish. But without any need or opportunity to use them, I've pretty much forgotten it all. I miss those languages, and I like to think that if the need arose and I put in some work, they would come back to me.

I've heard people in other countries criticize Americans for not being multi-lingual, but I completely get why most people don't bother. Despite what you hear, it has nothing to do with arrogance. It's simple practicality. In a largely monolingual culture, there just isn't that much need to put in the work, nor is there that much opportunity for those of us who do to actually use those skills. Skills that don't get used die out, and many people just don't see the point.

The second time I went to Haiti, some friends and I were in a meeting with a very prominent, semi-shady Haitian businessman, trying to figure out the right strings to pull to get a much-needed pickup truck imported into the country. Over the course of our interview, his phone kept ringing, and I heard him effortlessly switch between at least four different languages, according to the greeting he heard when he picked up the phone. It was impressive.

 

[connorlindeman]

Ended up starting TOTY later than expected, as I had to spend 6 hours in 20-degree weather in a random parking lot replacing the shift tube on my truck. Got it done though, so there’s that.

 

[WhistlingBadger]

Ended up starting TOTY later than expected, as I had to spend 6 hours in 20-degree weather in a random parking lot replacing the shift tube on my truck. Got it done though, so there’s that.

Sounds like a character-building experience. Yikes.

By the way, I like your TS Elliot quote. It is a more succinct version of Emerson's recipe:
To laugh often and much;
to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others;
to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition;
to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.
This is to have succeeded!