“Is it true? You can easily buy a gun in the US?”
Yesterday I was in a chat room with some School of Speaking members.
We were talking about the snow in Turkey, blue jeans in Romania, the beaches in Mexico…
And then the conversation turned to the U.S., specifically, about guns and violence and crime.
I’ve been home now for one month.
It’s nice to be back.
But it’s easy to start to see your home as, well, boring.
So it’s refreshing to hear these questions and see my home through the eyes of others.
And what about guns?
Well, by coincidence, that same afternoon I drove my father to church.
After I dropped him off, I went for a walk.
It was lovely outside with all the new snow so I took a picture.
Here it is:
Then I noticed the building across the street…
THIS WEEK’S QUESTION
Vitamin V reader Ramadan A. writes:
“I don’t understand why I can’t speak or write like you, but I can understand almost every person who speaks like you in english. When I try to speak or write in English my words disappeared in my mind. What’s the problem with my mind ?”
Good question.
First, there’s no problem with your mind; you’re perfectly normal.
Understanding and speaking are two different skills.
Because you can do one, doesn’t mean you can do the other.
If I go to a party, I may recognize Bob.
“Hey, I know that guy!”
But will I be able to remember his name?
“Hey, good to see you again… Bill.”
“Bob.”
“Woops.”
Second, how do you solve this problem?
Let’s think about the party again.
What if I keep going to parties…
And what if I keep running into Bob…
Do you think eventually I’ll remember his name?
And do you think eventually I’ll remember his name easily and quickly? Just like I remember my own name….?
GUNS FOR SAME
Here’s what I saw across the street:
Can you read the sign?
It simply says “Guns.
Here’s a closer look:
I see these stores all the time, but I never really pay attention.
In fact, I had never been inside this store.
So I decided to have a look so I could answer the question, “Is it easy to buy a gun?”
And here’s the answer…
The store was closed.
It was 4:50 and the sign said they close at 5:00.
Hmm. Maybe sold all their guns and went home…