A Special Afternoon after a Hard Morning

Last night I was not feeling well and the difficulty carried over into the morning. La Professoressa left for work with a worried look on her face and this always makes me try harder. I was determined to walk to Sydney Road, two km all together to see what I could do. On the way home, I stopped into my local beauty shop to say hello to Khahn and Tommy. Also Tin was there whom I had met on a previous day. Originally from Vietnam, all three want to learn more English and I want to learn more about Vietnam and so we have started our own learning circle there in the small Grand Union shopping center. Now I know for my American friends, these place names have no meaning but what happened this afternoon, the sharing of learning, of trust, of caring, of living languages amidst the smells and sounds of the beauty parlor, brought me back to full and amazed life. Amidst all the sadnesses of today's world, there is new and more generous life always growing. Today we discussed, all huddled around Khahn's manicure table, the difference between a "trip" and a "journey." How grateful I am to my new friends for taking me on another kind of journey this day.

Thank you, always, my SEEK students and my SEEK comrades, for opening my heart to the living dignity of finding words.