Healing Trauma: Perspectives And Attitudes, 12

I sometimes spend a lot of time on Skype and email, doing language exchange with native Spanish speakers who want to learn, practice or improve their English. I'm currently in touch with a few individuals from various parts of Latin America. One of the Colombians is rather inconsistent, but I have become used to this. The other Colombian and I are in contact several times a week. I have just begun conversing with a man who lives in Venezuela. I have conversed on Skype and by email with people who live in Colombia, Mexico, El Salvador, Venezuela, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Honduras, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Cuba and Spain. Not a bad start. Some have become long term friends, some, I hope will be lasting friends, many have disappeared for one reason or other. There have also been occasional idiots, but they are a rarity, unless they are English language students living in Vancouver, most of whom I have found to be pretty deplorable. They are usually living away from Mommy's lap for the first time in their lives and even if they are in their thirties (Latinos live in the family home for a long time after graduation) they'd might as well be teenagers. I can't say that the people I have met and got to know are bona fide representatives of their countries and cultures for the simple reason that they all come from the middle class. The very poor campesinos and working class people in those countries don't often have easy access to the Internet. Still, I feel that I learn more from these friendships and conversations about Latin America and Spain than I would from reading textbooks or watching documentaries. We have in most cases met on the Language Exchange page on the Internet. It is a very simple and effective premise. We pair up and help each other in our respective languages. I get help with my Spanish and they get help with their English. It is an amazing way of making new friends, as well, I think that because language is such a window onto culture. Language is also a door that opens up onto the human soul. There is something particularly special about my friendships with my Spanish-speaking friends, and I think that this could be because language touches so deeply on who we are, our identity, our history, and that delicate and complex and subtle dance between individual persons and the collectives of the cultures and the nations that help form our identity. Working on language together forces us to open up and be mutual vulnerable. We are teaching and learning from each other, which makes essential mutual humility and vulnerability, with a lot of grace and respect. Of course I am not going to name any of my language friends here, but I will mention a few hints that they alone will be able to identify, and I hope will read, as an anthem of my appreciation to them. I will simply name them by their countries: Peru, Venezuela, Colombia and Costa Rica. Colombia has a few representatives, but because the fellow I am currently in contact with is very consistent and reliable there is already a friendship developing. We have only known each other for a short time but already his humour and his strength of character reflect aspects of his culture that I greatly admire. I hope that we can be friends for a long time to come. Peru lives here in Vancouver, and he has become such an open window to his culture and history to me, as well as a deeply trusted and respected friend. Venezuela now lives here and her open heart and generous spirit and honesty assure me that the people of her country will make it through this dark night they are going through. Costa Rica lives in the mountains of his beautiful country with his family. I stay in their bed and breakfast when I visit. He is patient, sincere and very kind and to me our visits and conversations reveal much of the heart and history of his country and people. I sometimes try to get the longer view of my journey with Spanish. Why am I doing this and where is this going to take me? I don't give it a lot of thought because the journey itself is so captivating and I don't want to lose the joy. I am quite fluent now, and of course there is always room for improvement. I think the door has already opened and maybe I am waiting to acquire the courage to walk on through.