This morning saw my re-entry into the world of Spanish.  Naturally, I was nervous.  It’s been ten years since I was required to say anything in Spanish.  I think it’s starting to slowly come back.  I had one moment in class that brought up a memory that I hadn’t thought of in years.  My teacher didn’t have a pen with her, and since I was sitting in the front row and had a pen readily available, I offered her mine.  When she took it she said, “Gracias.”  To which I replied, “De nada.” and I was suddenly awash with the memory of how I learned that phrase.

Back, many years ago when dinosaurs walked the earth, I took my first Spanish class.  Unlike so many people, I had an amazing Spanish teacher.  She was fun, easy going, unconventional, and just plain awesome.  (My teacher here reminds me quite a bit of her.)  Anyway, school had been in session for a few weeks, and one day I was in the hall in front of  the Spanish classroom.  I was talking with a friend and she said, “Gracias” to me.  I started to say, “You’re welcome,” but noticing my Spanish teacher standing there, I asked her how to say it in Spanish.  She said, “De nada,” and it just kind of stuck in my brain.

I hope that when I become a teacher I can be at least somewhat as awesome!