by Mary Charles Robinson
Walking along the street in the frontier town of San Carlos, slightly intimidated by all the attention, I heard someone speak to me in English. She came from behind and was eager to show off her English and said “what are you doing here?” She didn’t really wait for the answer and proceeded to talk the entire length of the street.
It was a moment I didn’t want to forget. She told me how she had lived in California for three years and had been too scared to speak much English. Now she regretted it. In her less than perfect English, she said, “no matter your fears, you have to speak to learn it.” My motto from there on was ‘have no fear, just speak.’
