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That is why the pattern of immigrants is one where the parents have trouble with the language and the kids pick it up. That's how it works. The kids go to school, study the language, and hang out with kids who speak it. So maybe we should cut immigrants a little slack. Let them learn english as best they can and let them speak their own language among friends and family. Their kids will learn English. It's the pattern and it's not a bad one.
I'm an immigrant and the perfect example of the old joke. What do you call someone who is monolingual?
An American.
That's me, unless I'm playing golf.
If I Haven't Offended You With Politics, Religion Should Do It
I'd just retired and was on my flight to Bangkok to start my new life. Wouldn't you know it, seated next to me was a beautiful Thai woman and I thought, this has to be an omen. I'm sure she's looking to hook up with an old guy recovering from prostate surgery and radiation. We began talking and I immediately put my foot in it.
"Why are you moving to Thailand?" she asked.
I listed some reasons, and one of them was to get away from Christians. It turned out she was on her way back to Thailand to help run a Christian orphanage. Oops.
The truth was I was tired of in-your-face evangelical Christians and was looking forward to living in a Buddhist country. I am not a Buddhist, but if I had to choose that is the path I would probably follow. I'm not much of anything, really.
When we were kids we went to church on Sundays. In Detroit I think we were Methodists but those memories are very hazy. I remember being in a big grey church singing songs and saying prayers.
When we move to Grosse Ile we became Episcopalians because that was the only protestant church on the island and it was a good one. The minister, Archie Crowley, was a kind, gentle man and everyone loved him. Towards the end of our time there he moved up in the church and a new, more forceful minister took over. I'm sure it wasn't easy following in Rev. Crowley's footsteps but we didn't like the new guy as much.
The church had a basketball court out back and we played hours of pickup games there. It wasn't far from our house and I would ride my bike over to play. I