Describe Someone You Met in the Last Six Months.
Today marks the fourth day of my 31-day writing challenge. To read more of my answers to questions from the past three days, click here, here or here! With each prompt, I am taking 30 to 40 minutes to respond and then send the answers out into the internet universe. I am hoping these short answer replies will help you understand more about me, surrender some of my writing perfection tendencies and produce an everyday habit. I would love to hear your thoughts, please reply below and share some habits you hope to work on in 2020!
"Describe Someone You Met in the Last Six Months."
Once again, I am going to take this writing prompt and put my own spin on it. While I did not officially meet this person in the last six months, this person has made the last six months more meaningful, joyful and enlightening.
Technically, I met my Turkish teacher nearly one year ago. She was the first teacher I had during my 9-month language course and I enjoyed her challenging yet playful character from the start. After switching language levels, experiencing four other teachers and pushing through 9 months of the program, I was resolved that I wanted to start private lessons with my original teacher because she is simply the best.
Now we meet weekly and I am more than grateful for our times together. I walk away feeling proud of the deep conversations we are able to have in Turkish; we talk about politics, language, culture, art, personal challenges and more. I greatly enjoy time with my teacher because I can learn more about the experience of a Turkish woman in Turkish culture. Even though my husband is Turkish, I benefit considerably from the time I have to hear a different perspective, learn from a new demographic and be exposed to new beliefs about the world.
“What the teacher is, is more important than what (s)he teaches.”
― Karl A. Menninger.
Not only am I refreshing my grammar and building my speaking confidence but I am also building a relationship with a Turkish woman whom I deeply admire. My teacher is extremely hard-working and she is remarkably devoted to her family, especially her children. I can see her sacrificial character shine when she talks about exposing her children to challenging programs, schools, clubs and more. Truly, she reads and educates herself for the betterment of her children. This depth of devotion and commitment is inspiring.
Whether she knows it or not, she has also become such a source of encouragement for me during this time living in Izmir. I share with her all my ideas about business, content creation, hobbies, and interests. She listens, remembers, follows up and supports. Although I initially needed a Turkish language teacher, I am also walking away with a dear friend and encourager - I think I got the better end of the deal!
"None of us got to where we are alone. Whether the assistance we received was obvious or subtle, acknowledging someone's help is a big part of understanding the importance of saying thank you."
- Harvey Mackay
In the past, I have had many different language teachers while learning Spanish, French and Turkish. I can see a direct impact of the quality of the teacher on my ability to speak and use the language. For me, learning a new language is vulnerable and humbling. Without space to safely connect with the teacher and the culture, language learning can be one of the most hopeless endeavors. But truly, my love for Turkish culture and language has significantly expanded as a result of my lessons with my Turkish teacher.
Tomorrow's Question:
Write about a time you set a goal and accomplished it.
#findyourvoice #writingchallenge #2020vision @letsfindyourvoice
Photography by Madly Photography