ADVOCATING FOR EACH OTHER & BUILDING COMMUNITY
Finding Community After Retirement
by ELIZABETH A . AMIN , MD
Merriam-Webster has several definitions of community , the simplest of which is any group sharing interests or pursuits . I am fortunate that in retirement I have found such a community , one that sustains me . It is the community of Francophone friends that I have had the privilege to know over several years . The nature of the group has changed during those years , but the goal has remained the same : to get together and speak French .
French and Latin were obligatory subjects for me in school . I loved them both but , for various reasons , had to abandon them . When our younger son left for college , and I finally had a little time to do something non-essential , I planned my re-entry into the French speaking world ( I think Latin would have been a solitary and isolating pursuit ). I enrolled in classes with Alliance Française of Louisville and from the first moment it was clear that my new endeavor would bring me into contact with a wide variety of individuals with widely varying backgrounds and professions . After approximately two years , when a favorite instructor left Louisville to take a state government position in Frankfort , a group of us decided to break away and create a new track . Initially it was grammar and language oriented , but we enjoyed wide ranging discussions . It was a weekly evening event hosted by different members of the group . Friends brought friends . We had native French speakers who would gently correct our errors but seemed to enjoy the convivial atmosphere and graciously worked to understand us .
French is the official language in 27 countries and a co-official language in many others . The French word for this French speaking world is La francophonie . Our group enjoyed the cultural differences of French speakers who moved into and out of Louisville . Sometimes their presence was of short duration , sometimes they were repeat visitors . They brought a perspective on life and language that we would not ordinarily have been exposed to in more formal language classes . It could also be thought-provoking to see ourselves as others see us . I will admit that there were many lively debates and agreements to differ on a number of topics . I
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