Haben Sie schon einmal versucht, eine Sprache zu lernen?

Sorry. Have you ever tried to learn a language? It can be very overwhelming. The words sound funny coming from the unnatural feeling of the mouth they are spoken from. All while the conscious questions the accuracy.

I’ve been there. Many times. As a young person I, unlike my classmates, lacked the proper disposition and focus to absorb the Hebrew that was being forced down into my brain on Thursday nights. It wasn’t until 10th, when I had to take a language that I became successful.

My High School offered the standard back to back language special, Spanish and French. Boring. The other two options, Mandarin and German.

I wasn’t about that line letter life, still. So, German it was. Walking into the first day of class. ‘Willkommen’ was written on the board. A middle aged woman, with a heavy build and bowl cut dark hair tells us to take our seats. She starts the lesson, as gently as a only a German Woman can…

Willkommen. Mein Name ist Frau Gronenthal. Das ist Deutsch 1. Bitte nehmen Sie Bleistift und Papier zur Hand.

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(Reminder- this is German 1. I was raised in a Jewish household with a backstory of escaping the holocaust. German WAS NOT a thing.. for obvious reasons. Yet, yiddish was common..)

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I remember someone behind me whispering, ‘What did she say?’. Another kid whimpered, ‘I don’t know. I think we are in trouble.’ Then I became the display of a displinary correction as I turned around and blurted out, “She said to get out paper and pen.” I wasn’t a fan of the two girls behind me. Frau Gronenthal thought I was the disruptive one.

It was in that moment that both Frau and I had a realization. How was she able to give directions in proper formal German, and a 1st year had a better understanding that most of her 4th years. She spent the rest of class explaining to us the first five numbers and selecting our German names. After class, she pulled me aside.

She asked about my background. She had known my brother (the student body president) who graduated two years earlier. He took Spanish. It was known that our family was Jewish.

So how was it that that my comprehension was immediate? I passed from German 1 to German 3 in a year. She was always skeptical and convinced me I wasn’t good enough. I didn’t get to go on the Germany trip.

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No one knew that I was predisposed to German because it was in my blood. After I graduated High School, I didn’t continue my studies. It wasn’t until 2017 that I really started studying. Then in 2019, I found my very German family.

If you once started and found it too much, may I suggest trying it again? Sometimes things are forced upon us at times that are not compatible for our minds. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, or you are stupid. It means it just wasn’t the right opportunity.

When we face challenges, it’s okay to struggle. It’s okay to shy away and work it differently. Society today tells us all the negative and disrespectful we need. It is on each one of us to generate the strength to fight back with the positive.

Overcome the adversity. Society is suspect. Shine your light. No one is allowed to hurt your feelings or speak your thoughts without you permitting them to do so. Stop giving away your power, and prove it to yourself. I believe in you. -🍋💋