O Único Galego Mal Falado

Galego cuaderno

“…é o que non se fala”.

Happy Galician Literature Day, Galicia and all the galegophiles.

You’ve given me another lifelong project in learning, studying, and speaking. You’ve also shown me how a language can hold the culture, history, identity, and soul of a place.

I don’t feel that same connection to my language, English, which dominates much of the world. I vicariously bask in your commitment, both personal and collective, to keeping it alive. And I try to remind myself, when I’m embarrassed that I might accidentally mix Spanish when trying to speak Galician, that “the only badly spoken Galician is the one that isn’t spoken”.

“A tódolos galegos que nos transmitiron o herdo da lingua, ós que non renuncian a ela e confían e loitan polo seu futuro. Os que foron e van arrequentando agarimosamente este ben co seu maxín, a súa intelixencia e o seu traballo.”
— Dedication of Gramática galega, Editorial Galaxia 1995

Edge of a Long Twilight

Daytime scene featuring a clear blue sky with a prominent half-moon visible in the top right corner. In the foreground, leafless trees with intricate, bare branches create a stark contrast against the vibrant sky

This Californian still struggles with winter. Instead of going inward, pressing pause on the outside world, and enjoying the slowness of things, I’ve found myself dealing with big things over the last few years; a breakup, a new town and melancholy, existential dread while watching the warmongering, immigration bureaucracy, etc.

This year isn’t any different, other than gaining some awareness that I can choose something different. I can go inside, allow myself to not immediately respond to that favor request from the other, wait an extra week to turn in that paper (it’s Christmas time in Spain after all, where everything is slowing down).

The temperatures drop to 0º and I gave myself permission to delete instagram, re-start mantra meditation, unsubscribe to the podcasts with their cháchara, journal more, turn the heater up a little more, and be kinder to my self.

I’m interested in writing more without the masks though I don’t know where to begin and how much to divulge. Let’s see what happens in next year.