Happy October! I am excited to be writing
you from Deutschland as I enjoy an adventure learning and growing during a work
rotation lasting into December. As one might imagine, one area of my growth has
been adapting to a new culture and most definitely a new language here in
Germany. I have had isolated experiences being lost in translation while
traveling abroad, or interacting with someone with a different dialect, but it
is quite different when I am in that dynamic day in and day out for several
weeks. This accurately describes my life, which has made even simple tasks like
grocery shopping an exciting challenge (e.g. misreading the label and buying
dish soap thinking it was dishwasher soap :)). This prompts me to share with you a joke I heard early on when
I arrived.
Teacher: “What do
you call a person who can speak three languages?”
Class: “Trilingual”
Teacher: “And what
do you call a person who can speak two languages?”
Class: “Bilingual”
Teacher:
“Correct!...Now what do you call
a person who can speak only one language?”
<Awkward Pause>
Class: “An
American!”
Teacher: “Correct!”
Teacher: “Correct!”
Despite my adverse reaction to stereotypes I laughed out loud at this thinking of my current situation. While laughing
at this moment and many other funny stories regarding differences in
translation I reflected on the things in the world that translate naturally.
Whether it was lifting a “Mas” at Oktoberfest with old friends, hearing a
toddler sing on the train to his parents, or sitting down to a good schnitzel I came
to realize it is a smile that needs little translation.
With thousands of languages spoken in the world[1]
between people from different backgrounds, social upbringings and beliefs how
can we best coexist, let alone get along? My answer is to start with the common ground
that needs little translation: a smile. The positive intent expressed in the glimmer of a
smile can be an anchor point between people and develop into a stronger bond
over the course of time.
I know it is hard not to notice the things that do not make us smile. Most recently the school shootings in Oregon and Arizona, accusations brought against Planned Parenthood, the bombing in Turkey and the thousands of Syrian refugees searching for refuge in Europe stand out to me. Take a tip for your self-health and make sure you have some source of positive energy coming into your life to balance the influx of the heavy issues I just mentioned.
As I look back at responses from those benefitting from micro
loans on Zidisha it is the smile that always stands out. The smile shines through all
language barriers and cries out “thank you!” to those who believed in them. I
encourage you to experience this and make one micro-loan. Use it as a reminder that in a world filled with moments of terror and sadness we need more smiles.
I believe when you see the smile of a loan recipient you will smile
back because deep down as humans we speak the same language of hope, faith
and love.
Positive thought sparks positive action,
Miles
[1]
According to a 2009 report, the Linguistic Society of America states are at
least 6,909 distinct languages that exist in the world.
