Language and Pepin the Short

This morning I signed on to Facebook and found that today is a former teacher’s birthday.  I quickly wished him a “dogum günün kutlu olsun,” but I wanted to add a quote from Pepin the Short.  I couldn’t find one.  You see, Mr. D. was my history teacher in the 9th grade.  He taught “World Cultures” and I hated history!  (I wish I hadn’t because I love it now!)  His class was like story-telling time, but I just couldn’t grasp it.  “In one ear and out the other” my Pop would say.

I remember as I prepared for one of his exams, I decided I would memorize everything about Pepin the Short.  Surely it would be on the test.  It seemed to me that Mr. D. had a thing for Pepin the Short – likely because I paid attention the day he taught that.  Much to my dismay, Charlemagne’s Pop was not on the exam.  I proceeded to write Mr. D a note admitting that I knew none of the answers to his questions, but supplemented with a full Pepin history.  He gave me something like a “D”.  I truly think he would have given an “E” for effort if he could.

I don’t know why I hated history so much.  I was in the top 10 of my class.  I had near perfect scores in math, French, and Spanish.  But not history.  French and Spanish came naturally.  In college I also studied German and continued with German classes as an adult.

Turkish, now that’s a different story.  I admit I have not put much time or effort into learning Turkish.  First I bought CDs and a book.  I haven’t made it past chapter 2.  Then I made flash cards.  Well, writing them helped.  But using them would be more beneficial.  Next I received Rosetta Stone for a gift.  It seems you actually have to use it to learn.  Then I signed up for an intensive language course.  I found myself pregnant in the middle of the first week and left after the second.   I have books, movies, and a Turkish husband and family.  But I just don’t do it.

I guess something my German uncle taught me comes into play, “Morgen, morgen nur nicht Heute, sagen alle faulen Leute.”  Yep, I’m lazy.  Someday I will master Turkish.  But not today.  Turkish seems to be more like history – coming at its own pace.

Since I didn’t find a good Pepin quote to add to Mr. D’s FB page for his birthday, I quoted Charlemagne instead.  “To have another language is to possess a second soul.”  So true.  So true.  Perhaps tomorrow . . .