Parlez-vous Francais?

Life is undoubtedly a series of decisions that will then lead somewhere. Where the hell that is, I’m not exactly sure, but your life goes in a direction that is dictated by decisions you make. Sometimes this is difficult to swallow (especially for me). It’s tough to think about all the potential repercussions of the decisions we make. In fact, it’s easier not to think about them at all and just pull the “if it feels good do it” line out when you’re faced with a decision. And in reality, that may be the best way to go, however, it can (and will) change the outcome of your entire life.

Think back, if you will, to the first decision you made that would probably affect the rest of your life. Most people may say that their choice of what to do after high school could be that first real life altering decision. Should I go to college? If so, which one should it be? This decision is shortly followed by: What should be my major? For whom should I work? What career path should I take?

Not only do these early-life decisions make a difference in what happens thereafter, but they also form your decision making personality. Do you tend to make conservative decisions? Risky? Somewhere in the middle? This mentality either being conservative or risky will stick with you, at least to some degree, forever.

I contend that a strong personality forming decision is made earlier that the oft-mentioned after high school decision. And without really knowing it, most fourteen year old kids make a crucial mind wiring decision that theoretically should affect little in the outcome of their life (we could of course get into a chicken and egg debate, but please – let’s not). This occurs when they decide what language to take in high school. I know this sounds nutso (not a word but don’t care) and feel free to stop reading right now (go ahead click that X), but I encourage you to hear me out.

Everyone knows what language we should take in high school…………Spanish!

It’s a no-brainer. There are damn-near more Spanish speakers in this country than English. There are few towns in the US where Spanish could not be used at least in some capacity. Why the hell should anyone take a language other than Spanish?

And the answer is: Because they want to.

People who take French in high school know what they should do and don’t give a shit. French is a cooler language than Spanish several million times over. People who take French in high school have more divergent brain chemistry and place more emphasis on pleasure and happiness than practicality - and if these people where to crack open a fortune cookie it would tell them the same damn thing. (Folks who took Latin, German, Chinese, Arabic, or any other obscure language will require further psycho-analysis that may or may not be addressed in future blogs)

So what happens to people later in life who take French in high school versus people who take Spanish? It beats the hell out of me, and a full-blown study of this is the only way to find out. Any takers?

I contend (you’re still reading I suppose) that if this study was done, people who took French would end up with more divergent lives. They probably didn’t go to their local community college, marry their high school sweetheart, or work in the same job for twenty or more years? But what did they do? I would love to find out. I want to know what language Bill Gates took, or those dudes that started Google.

For the over-simplifists (another non-word – don’t care) among us, it comes down to conservative versus liberal. In my opinion, liberals will more often do things that don’t necessarily improve their bottom line, put letters on their resume, or improve their marketability to future employers – they do things that they think will make them happy, only if it’s short term. Is that bad?

Go ahead kid take French – it could be the best thing you ever do.



Parle Francais avec moi a poolejohn@gmail.com