I read today about a bar owner who posted a sign in Mason, Ohio that read, "For Service, Speak English". Thank goodness for the French people for being a little more tolerant of foreigners. I walked into the butchers one day and asked for pommes (apples). I meant potatoes, pomme de terre, which I thought the store might have in cans, with the other canned goods. The butcher, a very polite man, tried to ask me a couple of questions (in French of course) and also in limited English, but I was so rattled and now embarrassed that I could only stutter, "Merci non, au revoir" before I left. To me, an American trying hard to live and flourish in this new country, the more important task was returning the next day, with a practiced sentence and request for a chicken. I saw in his face recognition of me, his noting my renewed efforts, and his sincere desire to offer me the exact chicken that I needed for my soup. Of course, he is now my favorite charcuterie and of course he has a loyal customer, who is learning the language, but who is thankful for those who are willing to serve me, regardless.
Merci, from a community activist who embraces rather than marginalizes the differences in every community.
