A Gray, Wet, Rainy Tuesday

It wasn't a Ruby Tuesday, whatever that is.

The Writing Center is where I spent my day -- 8:00-5:30. I sit at the "instructor's station" trying not to bother anyone, unless someone asks for help. Today I tried to click a few photos without bothering or annoying anyone. The scenery and energy level in the room change every hour or two as groups of students arrive and others leave to go to class. I'm not sure that my photograph communicates that, but I think I'm not doing well at Blip currently anyway--so this is as good as it gets; at least for today.

I had the pleasure of helping a man this afternoon who asked if I would come to his computer to look at what he had written. Technically students are suppose to bring their papers to the instructor . . . I hate the "technical" stuff. So I just went to his computer and asked what he needed help with. He wanted me to read his entire essay and critique it for him (possibly edit it, and maybe re-write it too). I'm being sarcastic--but you knew that.

I explained that the instructors are not allowed to do that -- that what he needed was a full-blown tutor appointment. Well, there were no tutors on duty and his paper was due in a class this evening. So, . . .

. . . So I read his opening paragraph and his concluding paragraph and immediately realized that he has some severe second language problems and I wondered how it is that he is in a basic writing class when he really needs to be in a developmental writing class (I didn't say that to him, just wondered it). So I tried to help him sort his words and add some articles like "a" and "the" and prepositions -- all of those are very difficult for people who are learning English as a second language.

So after sorting out a bit of his message, I asked about him. When did he begin learning English and what is his home country -- those kinds of things. He told me he learned English a long time ago, but he said as he laughed, "I learned British English." And then he said, "I have a very hard time understanding American accent." He said, "I am from Egypt."

I looked at him, smiled big, and said, "You are amazing!" I told him how wonderfully he was doing and that I couldn't even begin to imagine the hurdles he has jumped to be getting an advanced education in a second language. I genuinely meant that. It was obvious he felt complimented. Honestly, I can't imagine doing what he's doing.

Mr. Fun and I have gone to Russia twice and before going the second time started to learn Russian. Trying to learn that language was such a humbling experience. Shoot, I can't even learn text-messaging. I still write "you" when I could write "U" and I always capitalize "I."

Sitting with the man from Egypt gave me a different perspective . . . a new appreciation for the ease of my education -- even though it took a lot of work to earn my degrees, it was nothing compared to what this man is doing.

So that's a little about my day in the Writing Center. It's not very exciting, definitely bland, lacking pizzazz -- maybe that's normal when rolling past 400 blips, but I kind of don't think so. I think I've lost it. Fallen right off my horse. You don't need to worry. I'll get up, dust myself off, get back on the horse, and ride again. Right now, I'm just on the ground. I tell that because I want my journal to record life -- the good, the bad, the ugly, and then the good when it comes around again. And it will!

If you want to send some good cheer, it would encourage me immensely if everyone would congratulate Mallary for her 100th blip. Thanks in advance.

Good night from a rain soaked, dripping-wet Southern California.
Rosie (& Mr. Fun), aka Carol

P.S. I will continue with Kooser's Valentine Poems tomorrow.