I grew up in a backwater town in New Jersey in the Eastern United States. My final year of elementary school was a one room classroom with a single teacher and eight fellow students. One day as we neared graduation, a counselor from the high school (secondary) showed up and like the sorting hat in Hogwarts, divided us into college prep and business.
No one asked me if I wanted to go to college. I’d never seen a college, didn’t know anyone who went and wasn’t sure why anyone would go. I was extremely naïve. For college preparation I was required to take a foreign language. I chose Spanish for some reason and ended up in the classroom of Mrs. Durst.
I liked her a lot. Her gentle manner and attentive spirit made her class a pleasure that I looked forward to. One day she casually told me that I had a good accent. For some unknown reason her compliment affected me deeply and stayed with me to this day. It changed the trajectory of my life.
I did end up in college and chose Mexico for a junior year abroad program. My one year of Spanish proved insufficient and I selected an intensive Spanish class, four days a week. When my program was completed I chose to live in Texas where I could continue to use Spanish and be closer to my beloved Mexico.
Today I am retired and live full time in southern Mexico. I can’t imagine living anywhere I would not speak Spanish. Who knows where my life would have been if not for a casual compliment by a beloved teacher. We just never know the affect we have on each other. I have looked for her several times to no avail. Thank you Fran Durst.
DOS TORTAS
the adventures of dos tortas 
Muy bueno, amiga. Palabras, si. Te amo, Nancy
On Sun, Feb 6, 2022 at 7:02 AM the adventures of dos tortas wrote:
> afish25 posted: ” I grew up in a backwater town in New Jersey in the > Eastern United States. My final year of elementary school was a one room > classroom with a single teacher and eight fellow students. One day as we > neared graduation, a counselor from the high school (seco” >
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Hey Nancy, looks like you studied a little Spanish yourself! Love you too.
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I envy you. I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer through high school. Took Spanish at the junior college as an adult. Never could speak it very well–too shy. Now I’m 75, this country is falling apart, I dream of running away and doubt if I have the courage.
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Many women do it Honey.
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Fortuitous indeed!
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Nice witness to tge power of education
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I have a middle school teacher who is a whole other story. Completely changed my life.
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lol…. I am tutoring 1st Grade
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Very impressionable.
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Good teachers and kind teachers are a real treasure.
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Amen
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