It's such a small thing in the course of the day, perhaps even said with no real thought behind it. And yet even the tiniest of compliments can redirect the entire course of my day and make it seem suddenly brighter.
Compliments are important. Even more so here in France where every footstep careful and entirely uncertain - each compliment becomes a medal, a badge of having successfully navigated some narrow cultural corridor.
This morning I had some difficulty with my contact lenses and, feeling it would be easier to forgo the discomfort completely, opted instead for my wearing my glasses. It wasn't a big decision in the grand scheme of the day, but it was one that caused my oral teacher a brief moment of pause this morning as she walked in and placed her patent leather bag on the desk in front of the class.
She said that the glasses were quite a change and I tried to tell her of my contact lens troubles this morning, which she apparently took to be some sort of apology for glasses and assured me that they looked quite good. I just smiled, not really knowing what to say.
I have had the most difficult time trying to read my oral prof this semester and, for lack of any evidence to the contrary, have settled upon the idea that I, the worst speaker in the entire class, must be very low in her esteem. So today's compliment seemed doubly important - not only did it make me feel a little better, but it also made me realize that perhaps I'm looking at some situations in the completely wrong way.
Compliments are important. Even more so here in France where every footstep careful and entirely uncertain - each compliment becomes a medal, a badge of having successfully navigated some narrow cultural corridor.
This morning I had some difficulty with my contact lenses and, feeling it would be easier to forgo the discomfort completely, opted instead for my wearing my glasses. It wasn't a big decision in the grand scheme of the day, but it was one that caused my oral teacher a brief moment of pause this morning as she walked in and placed her patent leather bag on the desk in front of the class.
She said that the glasses were quite a change and I tried to tell her of my contact lens troubles this morning, which she apparently took to be some sort of apology for glasses and assured me that they looked quite good. I just smiled, not really knowing what to say.
I have had the most difficult time trying to read my oral prof this semester and, for lack of any evidence to the contrary, have settled upon the idea that I, the worst speaker in the entire class, must be very low in her esteem. So today's compliment seemed doubly important - not only did it make me feel a little better, but it also made me realize that perhaps I'm looking at some situations in the completely wrong way.
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