Humble Pie

So today I ran to the one department store that we have here in Morges. When I entered the store I set off the door alarm, but just went on my way. Figured it was a fluke. I did my shopping and when I left the store it went off again. I turned around and could tell the clerk was trying to see the door so I proceeded to the counter and put my bag up. I knew it wasn't my bag so I quick thought of what may have triggered the alarm. I realized it was probably my new coat from Kohl's and sure enough when I unzipped it I saw the security tag was still in the lining. I showed the woman and asked her for a scissors, cut it out, and was on my way. As I was walking out of the store I thought to myself, "Well that went pretty well."

A block away I was hit smack in the face with a bit of Humble Pie, because this is actually what happened: I walked out of the store and the alarm went off, I walked back to the counter, and pointed to my coat. I said, "Nouveau, Etats-Unis". I unzipped it, pointed to the security tag, and gestured 'scissors'. She handed me a scissors, I cut out the tag, and said, "Merci." I walked out of the store. I may as well be a caveman. All I said was, "New, United States" DUH In my head I said, "I just got this coat in the United States and I forgot to cut out the security tag. That's what triggered the alarm."

I was reminded of my low-language Deaf students who struggle to communicate. I'll never forget a middle school boy I worked with my first year in MPS. He came up to me one day and started signing, "travel". When I wasn't giving the response he wanted he became frustrated and just kept making the sign bigger. In the end, through lots of questioning I realized this is what he was asking, "Ms. McCauley, we haven't gone on a fieldtrip in awhile, are you planning anything for this month? I'd like to go on a fieldtrip." I'll never forget that moment and how frustrating life was for this young man. Trapped by a lack of language. My life here in Switzerland has often been the same! I've learned to adapt, but I regret not trying harder. Sam likes to remind me that I don't know French. I know more than he realizes, but not enough.

Today new neighbors are moving in downstairs. I heard her speaking English and I heard her say Medtronic. My guess is they are from the Twin Cities. As I climbed the stairs past her apartment I saw her trying to communicate with the postman and one of the movers. I continued one more flight up to my door and then stood there and listened. The postman wanted to make sure that he was delivering the correct mail. At least that is what I am assuming he wanted to know. My new neighbor, and hoping soon to be new friend, was saying that one envelope had her daughter's name on it. I wanted to yell down the stairs, "Ma fille, say ma fille". She may experience the same moments of frustration and embarassment, but she'll have me to laugh about it with!