My most recent community service project has been helping to assemble ads for our town's phone directory.  One of the businesses I most wanted to be included was my seamstress/tailor.  Since I'm only 5' tall, whenever I buy pants, I generally have to have them altered.  [I know Mom, you taught me to sew, but my husband's idea of a "sewing machine" and mine are worlds apart!  The one he bought me a couple of Christmases ago is the sorriest excuse for a REAL machine you could possibly imagine!]  At any rate, this lady is magical and reasonable, and I tout her business every chance I get.  (Oriental, not Mexican...but does it matter?)

Long story short, when I approached her on the idea of purchasing an ad, she said she would talk to her husband about it.  I went into a long involved explanation that we were short on time, we had scant days to the deadline, and that if she wanted an ad, she would need to call me within a week.  That was 3 weeks ago.  Bottom line, no call, no ad.  I dropped off a pair of pants on Thursday, her sister [with less English skills than she] took the item, made out my receipt, and I left.  Today I returned to pick up the pants.  She came out, greeting me by name, and calling her son out...he was our translator.  He told me they'd decided to put the ad, trying to hand me the check already made out, for the directory.  I had to explain that the deadline was long gone.  Had her son, who learned English in school, been there originally, I'm sure her business would already have grown!

English can be the ticket to success in America.  Thank you, Joey from Geno's, for reminding us of that PC-banished fact!