Change

　　Changehasbeentheoneconstantinmylife.WhilestaringoutatthebleakWisconsinwinter,Ithinkbacktomybeginningsonawarmtropicalisland.Thebiggestchangewasprobablythefirst—movingfromthatbuzzingSpanish-speakingisletothesleepysea-sidetownthatwasTampain1978.Ittookmesometimetorealizethattheotherpre-schoolerscouldnotunderstandmynativetongue.Beforelong,Itoowasspeakingtheirlanguage.

　　FiveyearslaterI,anexcitedeight-year-oldgirl,boardedaschoolbusinNewJersey.TheexcitementquicklyturnedtofearasIheardrampantswearinginthebackofthebus.Iwastrulyshockedwhenthebusdriverdidnothingtostopthevulgarity.InmyschoolsinFloridasuchbehaviorwouldhavemetwithabarofsoapandavisittotheprincipal’soffice.Ayearlater,Ihada"Jersey"accent,andhadstartedswearingtoo.

　　Afternineyearsmyfamilythenmovedtoaplacecalled"awhole’nothercountry":Texas.IdiscoveredthateverythingisbiggerinTexas,fromthesizeofaglassoficeteatothedistancesontheroad.MymotheraddedbarbecuedbriskettotheregularmenuofturkeyandIdahopotatoesonMondayandarrozconpolloonTuesday.

　　TheincrediblyfriendlyTexans,wearingcowboybootsandgoingtohighschoolfootballgamesonFridaynights,seemedatotallydifferentbreedfrommyfriendsinNewJersey.Aslightdrawlenteredmyspeech.

　　Intwoyearstime,IfoundmyselfinthemountainsofruralBolivian.AspartofateamofdoctorsandstudentsresearchinghypertensiononagroupofAfrican-Bolivianvillagers,Iquicklylearnedanewvocabularythatincludedmedicalandanthropologicalterms.Thegreatesttestofmylinguisticabilitiescamewhenavillageraccusedmeofdrinkingbloodsamplesinsomekindofvampire-likewitchcraftritual.IhadtobridgeavastculturalgulftoexplainaDNAisolationandanalysisprotocolinSpanishtosomeonewhohadneverheardofagenemuchlessadoublehelix.

　　AyearlaterIstoodinalineataMcDonaldsoutsideBuenosAiresaskingforasorbetowithaPuertoRicanaccentandreceivingablankstareinreturn.IdidnotrealizethatinArgentinathewordforstrawwaspapote.WorkingattheU.S.embassy,IcouldclearlyseetheobviousdifferencesbetweentheU.S.andArgentina,butbeingoutamongthepeopleandactuallyexperiencingtheculturehelpedmebegintounderstandandappreciatethesubtledifferenceswhich,whentakentogether,makeupapeople.

　　EachplaceIhavelivedhasitsdifferences,fromtheobviousdistinctionsofWisconsinandTexasweather,totheregionalvariationsoftheSpanishlanguage.IbringwithmewhereverIgoapartofthoseplacesandtheimpacttheyhavehadonmylife,mostevidenttoothersbythevariationsinmyspeech.Beneathalltheaccents,however,liessomethingmoresignificant,forIbelievewhoyouareisimmeasurablemoreimportantthanwhereyouwere.WhenIwasyounger,IcouldnotclearlydiscernbetweensituationswhereIshouldorshouldnotadoptthewaysofthosearoundme.WithmaturityhoweverIhavecometounderstandthecrucialdifferencebetweenadaptationandassimilation.IhavechosentorejectthevulgarityoftheNewJerseyschoolbus;IhavealsoadoptedtheTexans’warmandfriendlymanner.Havingexperiencedfrequentmovestoverydifferentsurroundings,Icanadaptwithoutcompromisingwhatisimportanttomewhilelearningfromeachnewsetting.

　　Asignhunginmygarageformanyyearsth