Loosely related to my S.A. experience

Recently found this BBC article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/em/fr/-/2/hi/uk_news/wales/north_west/8452843.stm

There are obvious benefits to bilingualism and multilingualism. When will the United States get with the program?

Relationships

I’ve met some great people during this abroad experience. Now, three weeks away from departure, I can’t help but think about the goodbyes.

Relationships are transitory. That’s an easy enough statement. I’ve just never been in the position to understand the implications of the statement. And now, here I am, realizing that people who I met at the Stanford house, at UCT, in a bar or at the café, I may never see again. People weave in and out of my life. With many, I’ve had the ultimate say. I’ve decided who to let enter, or who to push out. It’s difficult when I have no control, when people, intentionally or unintentionally, decide to cut the bonds of our relationship. It’s even more difficult when neither one decides, when circumstances make the decisions.

It’s selfish or maybe immature to want to hold on to something—to preserve it because of how I’ve benefited. But that’s always been my nature. If I find someone or something of value, I keep it. I fight for it. As I emotionally prepare to leave, I’ve realized that I can’t use my old methods. I have to let go. At some point, I have to think “I had some good times with that person,” and leave it at that.

Perhaps this is a more optimistic way to think? It definitely seems healthier. To acknowledge the transitory nature of relationships is to realize their value in the present. At the moment we are hanging out because circumstances allow and we’re enjoying each other’s company. Maybe we won’t become best friends….but that doesn’t mean I can’t invest my person—my feelings, my thoughts and my energy. It’s a matter of living in the moment, I suppose.