I am the recipient of great charity and owe a debt of gratitude to several communications directors of various nations where Regnum Christi has a presence. They have been kind, patient and tolerant of one of my persistent character faults.
That’s right; I’m an American. I speak only English.
For the past two days, I’ve been in meetings in Rome with communications directors, most of whom speak at least two languages. The meetings are held in Spanish, making me a potential lost cause in being a part of the conversation.
But thanks to the simultaneous translating of my multi-lingual colleagues, I’m able to follow the conversation and contribute my thoughts. At first, I felt a little humiliated. I’ve made a couple efforts to learn Spanish, but demands on my time (and perhaps an undiagnosed linguistic learning disability) have stood in the way. Thus, I have to depend on people smarter than I to keep me in the conversation.
It is tiring, more so to the person helping me than to me. But it also is a reminder of the extent that each of us depends on others, ultimately on the God who made us. No one is self-sufficient, although many of us think we are. In a way, being so dependent helps me to appreciate how much other people do for me every day of my life.
But I do want to make it clear that I’m more than capable of ordering in a Chinese restaurant – provided the menu has pictures and numbers.
