My Love/Hate Relationship

...okay maybe I don't hate the owl. I mean seriously how could you; he's little and green with wide eyes & chubby cheeks. He's adorbs. And technically it's my fault for wanting to improve my resume and career path by becoming bilingual.

Or so I thought.

I had read somewhere that in order to get accepted into a PhD program it would be beneficial to be fluent in a foreign language, so naturally my overzealous ass downloaded four languages, because I was already teaching at three colleges while working as a benefit specialist full time and writing a book in between phone calls, so suuuuuuuure I can learn: Spanish, French, Ukrainian, & Chinese!!!

Yeah, I am kinda nuts, or an overachiever depending on who you talk to, lol.

Nevertheless, I had a brain aneurysm rupture several years ago which left me with some cognitive deficits. Now, I am no longer pursuing a doctorate in literature, so there's no real need to learn a language anymore, but I keep speaking French to a green, chubby cheeked bird because, it's habit.

Not only that, but reading writing & constantly trying to learn something new helps me remember things like if I loaded the dishwasher or took out meat to thaw for the day.

When the cute little bird speaks about le chien dans le jardin, I remember my Cheechie needs to go out and I make sure she's fed and her water is fresh and clean.

Then we go on out little walk and I call her " ma joli petit chien" as she sniffs & burrows.

The chouette vert alerts me every day that I should engage it, say hello, have a coffee, and if I don't it right away, it will alert me again. See even simulated cartoons will die of despair if you don't engage with them.✉️

But have I become any more fluent in French?

LOL, nah not really. I only took two years of French in college and I believe it took me four years after my rupture to relearn what I lost. It was extremely challenging, but in order for me not to become a useless lump of flesh, I need to keep my mind sharp.

Then sometimes unfortunately, with the financial challenges of being disabled I'd lose phone or internet service and would have to start my French lessons all over again, unless I could remember my password.🤯

Exactly. I'm over 50, starting menopause, with permanent brain damage. 🖕 a password for real.

But I digress, this is about the little green owl named Duo and how he has assisted me in my recovery journey. Because, I may never fully recover but I'm determined to thrive a little more every day.

And while i was meandering along o my journey, I've noticed the little green owl has gained some new friends. There's a bear I've never met, but he pops up to roll his eyes at me for not getting an answer correct. I think that's kinda rude since I don't even know how to say bear in French yet.

Then there's the character who is a DJ, but is dressed like Boo from HBO's Orange is the New Black who applauds my successes with a different character named -Zari???

I think that's her name.

Anywho, Zari is the cartoon equivalent of the "Wacky Wavy Inflatable Tube Guy" and when I complete my lessons, she waves her cartoon arms all over the place.

And sometimes I wave my arms a little bit too, because if I complete a lesson a reward myself with un cafe du lait sans sucre mais avec chocolat.

Merci de lire!

A bientot!💜