Language

I assumed my blog would come out in a mixture of French and English, or English and French, with the words coming out in the language they chose, much like the way my French son and I communicate verbally. This is not the case and I seem to be sticking to English, with one French quote so far, and a summary of what it means in English appended.

The words “fence” and “defence” come to mind. It feels restful to be making do with just one language. Maybe this is because I need some respite from continually struggling with the two in my job. Assimilating what is sometimes complex French and transforming it into what I hope is fluent English. I also write prose in French and have always told myself that what I lose in grammatical automation I gain in beating the emotional censor. My childhood took place exclusively in Anglophone playgrounds, which I suppose were complicated enough given that I was living in Scotland and the language we used at home did not coincide exactly with the language required at school. A legitimate reason for seeking refuge first in the written word, then in a foreign language. Now I'm ready to devote myself exclusively, it seems, to my first love.