Language

Last Autumn, I was messing around with Latin. The language. Not a person.

There is an on-line site called “Duolingo.” Believe me, it’s not like I didn’t have anything else going on at the time. But I forged ahead because that is what I do. Many irons in the fire. Or none.

I am interested in word origins. And I do a lot of genealogy. Mostly with Irish-Catholic records so I frequently stumble upon Latin words and names. It was a natural path to that particular site.

But, like many of us, I know my limitations. Many other things needed my attention. So “Duolingo” fell by the wayside.

Then one day I received an email.

This:

In the header of the email. “You made Duo sad.”

That irked me. Yes, it caught my attention (kudos to the hip kids crafting the correspondence) but it annoyed me.

Designed to touch upon a person’s feelings.

Guilt. Inferiority.

Then trying for the hook, line and sinker of fierce competition.

Wait, what?? You ditched Duo and he had to go on without you? Duo learned that much Latin AND made his own sourdough?

So much unpacking to do with that brief email. Here is their message.

Duo and I began at the same time. Then I abandoned him because I am a horrible person. A flat-leaver. But HE kept with it because persistence is key. Totally blew by me in the learning process. Accomplished so much in a month. Then, if that wasn’t enough? Duo was able to manage a sourdough starter. So there!

A fabulous reminder.

You really want to feel guilty? Experience feelings of “less than” or competitiveness?

I do not recommend it. But if you must? That’s on you. Own it. And examine the source.

But do not. Do not. Do not allow anyone else the power to elicit those feelings.

No matter the language.

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Important

You all know how interested I am in genealogy. I love it. And not just my own. Anyone’s. I just find it fascinating.

One thing I came across, time and again, during my research, is the importance of having someone to claim you and having someone who always knows where you are in the world. It really stayed with me.

I realized it when searching the old World War II Draft Registration Cards. Down on the bottom left hand side of the form. In bold type: Name and Address of person who will always know your address.

Of course, this was probably so they could track you down if they needed you for service.

But it is usually also an indicator of the person closest to you. That person who will always know where you are.

And I realized it again while perusing an old letter (1927) written by my Granda’s aunt. It was sent to my grandfather, Patrick, his brother Peter and their cousin Jimmy who were all living in New York City at the time. The letter is about the death of their grandmother in Ireland. But Aunt May also added a few lines about a fellow heading to America that had no one there to claim him.

I also realized it very recently when following the story of a missing Brown University student, Sunil Tripathi, in the United States. He has people to claim him. They are desperate to find him. And doing everything they can to spread the message. He just disappeared into thin air. I don’t know anything else about him. Because that’s not important. It’s only important that his loved ones know where he is.

Everyone should have someone who will claim them. And everyone needs to have a person in their life that will always know where they are.

It’s important. It’s always been important.

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