Infinite vs. Finite

To me, the single greatest difference between being young and growing old is feeling infinite and immortal versus knowing you are finite. Six months into graduate school, I have finished a course on left hemisphere cerebrovascular accidents (CVA's, more commonly known as strokes), and am halfway through a course on right hemisphere CVA's and traumatic brain injuries (TBI's). More and more, I feel this omnipresent awareness of my, your, our finality. All around us, technology is getting better and faster. Somehow, that makes us feel that we are bigger and stronger. But we are as frail as we have been since the beginning of time. As our lifespans are increasing we become more susceptible to strange diseases and new pressures, and in a way we are even more frail. In keeping this post short and sweet, this is my simple soapbox message to remember the frailty of our lives. Working with clients who have suffered brain lesions and traumas is without a doubt rewarding, but also incredibly saddening. The brain is a mysterious, strange, precious organ - one with great neuroplasticity but also sensitive to damage. Remember that no matter the age, we are all finite. Think twice, wear a seatbelt, and be careful.

Embracing the Importance of Being Bilingual

Superbowl XLVIII was had its fair share of adverts, most of which were centered around man's best friend, sex appeal, beer, and patriotism. The following commercial, created by Coca Cola, opted for the patriotic route. It features individuals from different racial, ethnic, religious backgrounds singing verses to "America the Beautiful." Coke writes, "The only thing more beautiful than this country are the people who live here." But it was not rife without controversy.

The number of dislikes and type of comments are a litmus test to the public's reaction to this much-talked-about advert. The reactions of the anonymous public reminded me of what I was taught in grade school -- of America as a melting pot (whereas our neighboring country Canada views itself as a mosaic and a tapestry). Herein lies the problem of racism and intolerance that is still so prevalent in our country: we view the American culture as a melting pot, with the expectation of acculturation and assimilation. What is so inherently disturbing about having the best of both worlds, juggling more than one culture, speaking two or more languages?

In our multicultural/pluralistic society class this semester, we have been talking ad nauseum about embracing the importance of being bilingual. In an increasingly globalized society, the importance of being multilingual is something of an asset, rather than something to be ashamed of. It helps in building cultural competence and empathy, in the fluidity of traveling freely between countries, in expanding communicative horizons to a dialect beyond Standard American English. Because news flash...the rest of the world is born into a rich, multilingual environment. So this is an open letter to America the Beautiful: let us embrace the importance of being bilingual. Surely it is something to be treasured.