Some time ago I did my usual stroll through our business area to get exercise and also to get the “feel” of other humans, for we are not robots and need interaction with other people.
On the corner of one street a group of young men were seated on the pavement, laughing and talking in Xhosa.
As I walked past with my red walker, one of them said something and they all turned to look at me, pointing and all the time talking while laughing.
I instinctively knew they were mocking this old lady, who was walking much like a duck due to a spinal-cord injury, and that sight must have been very amusing to them.
At that very moment I decided that as a person in my mid-seventies I am going to learn Xhosa as I would like to know what is being said and be able to respond.
What these youngsters do not know is that words are my thing and learning their language is going to be like dancing the rumba – easy and with purpose.
And I did just that. Two years on, and I am able to speak to them on a still limited vocabulary, but I learn words every day.
I also explain to Xhosa speakers that I am ndiafunda isiXhosa (learning), and they are more than willing to help me with correct words and pronunciation.
They also look with disbelief at me and treat me with respect when I speak to them in Xhosa.
I did not blame those youngsters for mocking me, as I also laugh at myself and make many jokes about it, to soften the blow to others meeting me for the first time.
One such joke is that I have many wheels (feet) and it takes a lot of driver’s licences to drive with them. That normally puts everyone at ease.
But as a society should we not make an effort to learn to speak someone else’s language, as most of them can speak ours?
