One of the best pieces of writing I ever read was an essay on washing dishes. The author was a Mexican student who was trying to learn English at the community college where I was volunteering. His work was written by hand, with many deletions and erasures. He described how his grandmother had taught him to wash dishes in very hot water with lots of soap, the glasses first, then the plates, and last the cutlery and pots.
All the while I was reading, the student apologized for his poor English. I am sure he didn't believe me when I said I thought his paper was wonderful.
The essay was wonderful because it revealed things about the writer: That he was respectful, that he was trying to learn, that he was modest and disciplined. His love for his grandmother was revealed in every word. He had something to say.
1 comment:
I was thinking about that guy's grandma as I was washing the dishes. I was hoping she'd approve of my technique.
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