I have decided that I am going to go to the Spanish Language Conference in May 2026. I have also made the determination that I will be completely bilingual when I attend next spring. I made a start last night. I called my friend Rebecca from El Salvador. I met her at this year’s Spanish Language Conference in September. We have a lot in common. She is also trying to improve her Spanish. She wants to teach it to her two daughters. I told her that my mom said it was too much work to speak to me in Spanish and that it didn’t come out naturally. The funny thing is that Rebecca empathized with my mom because she understood how she felt because she has similar feelings when it came to her two daughters.
My parents are forgetting some of their Spanish. They have lost their mothers many years ago and they would both speak to their moms in Spanish. If fact my mom would talk to grandma every day. I do try to speak to her in Spanish whenever I call. She does usually reply in English, but occasionally she will respond in Spanish. I just need to persevere.
My friend Rebecca said something that made me feel good. She said she was surprised when I had asked her if I could practice my Spanish with her. She said that she thought I spoke well. It was good practice for me to listen to her talking in Spanish. That is more difficult for me. It is easier for me to speak Spanish than it is for me to understand spoken Spanish. The sad thing is that sometimes it is very difficult for me to understand the Puerto Rican accent. This kind of makes me feel like a fraud because I am Puerto Rican. Mexican Spanish is easier for me to understand. I guess because in general they don’t speak as quickly as the Puerto Ricans. I remember at work I was speaking to an American who is bilingual in Spanish, and I found him to be very easy to understand. I understood everything he said to me.
I want to practice Spanish with my parents. Spanish is still their first language, and they are both native speakers. They still do know a lot of Spanish. My mom watches the Spanish novelas a lot. I probably should start watching some Spanish Language shows. Although on the shows the actors do speak well.
I am going to start doing outreach at the Tops on Niagara Street for my job. The Tops Market on Niagara Street is predominantly filled with Spanish speakers. Most of them are from Puerto Rico. It is a good opportunity for me to practice listening to Puerto Rican Spanish which for some reason is one of my greatest weaknesses. That really, really annoys me.
I hope that I get a chance to speak Spanish with my friend Gabriella soon. She is Puerto Rican and lives on the island. I asked her if I could practice Spanish with her and she replied, “Claro que si!” That means “of course.” I also have a friend from Chile that I could practice my Spanish with. He is the owner of the store, “El Buen Amigo.” I have known him since I was quite young. I think I was around 26 when I met him. Now I am 56 and soon to be 57. It’s amazing how fast time flies. I am not looking forward to turning 57, but it does beat the alternative. I would rather turn 57 than not turn 57! As my coworker Zach says, “Every day above ground is a good day!”
Lately, I have been spending more time chanting for my own happiness. I do love chanting for people I care about. Chanting for everyone I love is joyful. I realized recently that I don’t love chanting for myself. It is getting better, but at first, I found chanting for myself to be painful.
Nichiren Buddhism is about practice for self and others. According to Nichiren Daishonin, when we light a path for another, we also brighten our own path. However, for the past 25 years I have been neglecting myself. I need to have the discipline to chant for my own happiness. When I overcome my obstacles and create an indestructible happiness, I will encourage so many people. We are all interconnected. We are especially connected to our friends and family. When I win—and I will—they will win too!