This is one part of me that I do not understand. 

Of all the languages that I have attempted to grapple with - and believe me, there have been a few - why choose a primary language that is not connected with any of my family history? Or one that is connected to a culture that I find....weird at times?

Well, you know what they say, you never forget your first one. So I suppose it has to do with my schooling. 

Like many high school students, I had to take two semesters of a foreign language. And like many small high schools, the language choices were slim. In fact, there were only four - French, Spanish, German.....and I think Italian? 

Considering that high school me had little interest in the others (future me is ashamed of her), I picked French. I did enjoy my two semesters, even if the Powerglide software was the literal bane of my existence. Seriously, when they teach you one word in the lesson and throw in a completely another one in the exercises for the same thing, it's a recipe for disaster. 

But that course was memorable. For one thing, I learned how to pronounce Quebec correctly (my French teacher was a naturalized citizen from that particular province). And in that course, there was one thing that got hammered into me. And that is "thinking in the language". 

You see, langauge is not just vocabulary. Language is made up of concepts. Which is why language learning by immersion is generally more effective than the standard vocabulary approach. I mean, we learned English as babies by immersion first. We learn to "think" in English. Not only does this help us practice the language, but it helps with retention as well. 

Now, most people forget nearly all of their language once they leave school. Apparently mine was a weird case because some French stuck with me. I kept the French dictionary that I used for high school. And occasionally, I would dig up the immersion video series French in Action, which was an extra resource in high school that I enjoyed immensely. (in fact, I have just found it again, I link it HERE for my fellow French learners). 

Fast forward to 2019...and my brothers discovering Duolingo. Of course big sister had to get in on it. And guess which language I gravitated towards again? 

French. 

Except this time, I had a better reason for it. Not only for the previous French background, but I had an opportunity to use it...somewhat. 

You see, before the pandemic, our Bob Evan's restaurant would gets the occasional visitor (or tour bus) from Canada. Even though our menu is pretty simple to understand, there is the occasional clarification parley. Which is frustrating because I actually understand what they are saying a lot of the time but I am like a baby and can't speak back to them! 

Now granted, this link is even now tenuous. So why do I bother learning French? 

Maybe for when I actually make that pilgrimage to Chartres. Maybe for when I visit eastern Canada. Or maybe God intends me to have a French/Canadian husband. 

Or maybe I'm just going to keep it for the heck of it. It will be another one of my eccentrices. 

Well, this is a rambly post, I must say! What sort of eccentric thing have you picked up for the heck of it? If you are actively learning a language, what is it?  

Old-fashionably yours, 

Catherine

Hey y'all,

So...I apologize in advance, but I really need to get this off my chest and combat some evil with some good.

I just sat through one of the most sickening classes that I've ever been in my life.

I made the mistake of taking a class on Utopias for my senior global that I'm required to take. Literally, my other options were a Hiroshima class (which from my roommate's comments is really bad) and a class on the Middle East (in which I would be required to visit a mosque.) What the heck is education coming to????

And since the impression I got was that the class was based on mostly traditional texts like St. Thomas More and Plato, I figured why not?

By the way....those works were in there but it was only a third of the class. The rest of the class literally is all Marxist/Communist and all the CRAPPY BAD IDEAS FROM IT.

By that, I mean crappy bad ideas like eugenics, environmentalism and the bane of my existence, feminism. I'll talk more about utopias later on in the post, but I really need to say a few things about feminism.

I am not feminist. I am feminine.

Believe me, there is a major difference.

Feminism really wants to destroy the following:
Traditional marriage and nuclear family (no procreation)
The idea of gender and sex itself (one gender)
Sexual taboos (including incest and sex with children)
Pregnancy and motherhood (reproducing asexually)


All by eliminating the need for men and their influence on society. Feminists act as usurpers, taking what is rightfully the man's role. Women nurture not just bodies but minds too. But we need men to balance us out and make us stand up straight. There is a universal truth that fathers have a big role in their daughter's emotional development rather than the mother. This is especially true when it comes to the daughter's confidence levels.

Suddenly, after re-learning all this feminism crap, it makes total sense why we have such a crappy society.

I know that this is probably a rehash of what you have heard before. But trust me ladies, I'm not suggesting that you actually look this stuff up. It is so sickening, I can't even begin to describe it. I literally was fighting the urge to scream in total rage.

Basically, feminism is the Woman's version of non servam. 

Non servam is Latin for "I will not serve."

This is the critical phrase that cast Lucifer and his confederates down to Hell.

The church fathers have been clear for centuries that Woman was especially called to be a mother. Whether it physically happens or not. It is her uniquely defined role that she must fulfill. Shame on these feminists who call for such a gross dereliction of duty among our young women!!!!!!!!

Ok, now I'll climb onto my other soap box: utopias.

I have heard (of course AFTER I decided to take this class) that Catholics reject utopianism. I wondered why, especially since I knew about Saint Thomas' More's work called Utopia and had read part of it already.

Well, I know NOW why.

Here's the thing: utopianism is the idea of a perfect world on Earth. Something that most of us know that will never happen.

Saint Thomas More has the credit of creating the word "utopia" (oddly enough, it's Greek for either Good Place or No Place, depending on which Greek word the translation is based off of).

Saint Thomas' work Utopia is about a fictional world that he is (supposedly) told about. He never claims it as a perfect world though.
In this world, the vices seem to be toned down or removed from society. Correcting abuses of human nature in a way while expanding the virtues. Some of the ideas that he introduces throw me a little such as the introduction of religious freedom, which seems to be a defense of the idea of out of free will choosing the True Faith. From reading Utopia, it seems to be a society orientated towards attaining Heaven. Which is good.

Then Marxists got a hold of this idea. And turned it into a hellish concept. Errors being upheld as virtue and perpetuated. No thought of an afterlife ever enters in, just enjoying the pleasures of this society here on Earth. Some of these utopian ideas (such as racial utopias and gender utopias) are so full of contradictions, errors and evil that I just want to throw up.

And since everyone has their own concept of what a perfect world on Earth is like, how can such an idea succeed?

It can't. Pure and simple.

If utopian ideals had remained under a Catholic definition (which is a good society totally bent on the salvation of souls and one that eliminates evil over time), the concept is airtight and the foundation of a good society. Besides Utopia, a couple of other works have operated under this definition, including Dr. Walter's novel Russian Sunrise. A Protestant version would be Addison Russel Peale's work Sub-Coelum.  

Let in one error, and the concept springs a leak, sinking it into the depths of Hell. Quite literally in some cases.

Phew....ok, I feel better. I'll get off my soap box now.

Old-fashionably yours,

Catherine