id-dars 'arabi (the Arabic lesson)

Dear Mary and Doug,

This comes with fervent hopes that your summer there has backed off its relentless blazing heat. The summers here are very warm - alot like a normal S Texas summer - but nothing like you're experiencing this summer. Inshallah bikher - God willing, all will be well.

I was studying Arabic the other day and had an ah-ha moment which made me think of both of you and the dinner which we enjoyed together at your home when I was visiting recently. You asked me to say Grace in Arabic.

The ah-ha moment came when my new lesson got me all excited because there was so much new vocabulary in it that I would really be able to use alot.

Then it hit me - the new words and phrases that I was learning and realized I would be using: to confiscate property, imposition, 4 verbs related to imprisonment, to become a martyr, to be killed, incendiary, to become poor, to be fired

I thought about what I know how to say. Of course, many most common words. I can say coffee, table, tomato, house, walk, car, etc etc. But almost before learning those, I learned how to say settlement and checkpoint. And war, rockets, bombs, soldiers. Yet, I confess to you with reddened, little-boy-ashamed face, that I do not yet know the liturgy in Arabic or words related to it. Of course some others here learn those words first, but I haven't. I guess I'm moving in a different context.

I'm sure there are profound quotes about what words mean in our lives, but I don't know them. But in trying to learn a new language at this advanced age, I am very aware of how language is the currency of our daily lives. Since my time (and neurons) are limited, I've tried to learn how to talk about what I encounter every day. And as recently dawned on me, those particular words are sometimes a very dear currency.

Sahaatkum! wa alla ma'kum. Thankfully, these words flow easily - good health to you and God be with you.

Harry