Zacatecas!

Near my neighborhood, I often used to see a man pushing an ice cream cart with the word “Zacatecas” painted on the side.  I just assumed that “Zacatecas” is Spanish for “ice cream.”  One day, I was having ice cream with a friend and his father.  His father only speaks Spanish, so I excitedly pointed at my ice cream and exclaimed, “Zacatecas!!!!”  He looked perplexed, and asked my friend something:  “My dad wants to know if you are asking him where he is from in Mexico.”  This, of course, puzzled me until I learned that, rather than meaning “ice cream,” Zacatecas is a state.  Imagine someone eating with you who speaks no English.  Suddenly, she points excitedly at an item of food and shouts, “California!”  I felt rather silly, realizing this is what I had just done.  Luckily, my friend and his father both were very sweet about it, and we all had a good laugh together.

Sometimes, we may be mistaken in our understanding of another’s reality, whether due to a language barrier, a cultural difference, or just a difference in personalities.  In my opinion, every relationship is a coming together of different cultures, even if you are from the same place.  If we have good intentions, then making blunders can be a way to learn about others.  Sometimes, we can be so worried about looking stupid, that we say or do nothing.  This may make us feel safe in an unfamiliar situation, but we won’t learn anything by doing this.  If we can give ourselves permission to make our well-intentioned blunders, and if we also give others permission to do the same, we can broaden our understanding of the things we are unfamiliar with.  And maybe get some good laughs out of it all.