IF WALLS COULD TALK, Week of February 9, 2017

by Katie Ouilette

OK, faithful readers, there’s an old saying about ‘what goes around comes around,’ and, frankly, as I sat in my chair in our kitchen in East Madison and reflected on the problems that were encompassing our USA because of immigration rules and regulations. I also decided to find out why the pile of papers in the corner of the top shelf of our bookcase had been kept. Yup, I made a discovery, WALLS!

I found a column entitled IF WALLS COULD TALK that had been written before The Town Line’s managing editor had called me about writing for The Town Line. You were writing for the extinct hometown newspaper, but, guess what? I learned that my Mémère Zelia Valliere and I were having a talk about my speaking French. Yes, she and my Great-Grandma Sarah would talk French to each other on the phone and I wanted to learn that language, but Mémère said, “No, you don’t want to learn to speak French……You speak English.” It seems I didn’t understand her reasoning until Skowhegan Junior High School and I learned in history class that the French were employed only after all the English-speaking immigrants had jobs.

So, WALLS, as you talk to our faithful readers, it is true today that what went around has come around again. It is true that immigration in those days was from our north, wherein, today, folks who love what they hear about our USA, want to live here. What’s more, many of those who want to immigrate to our USA have experienced unbelievable torture and loss because of the Middle East War.

WALLS, I know you aren’t taking a political stand here, but I do appreciate your being aware of what has happened in the world as we thought we knew it. This brings you back to your opening sentence, WALLS, that ‘what goes around, comes around.’ Probably our faithful readers haven’t thought how speaking our native English has possibly played into the equation. I never thought of it until finding the column in the corner of our bookcase.

Yes, yes….I do listen to the news and I did learn a few days ago, WALLS, that the development area for our famous “Valley” in California has many of other countries working there. In fact, our West Coast family tells us of their many friends from other countries……and many of them are from Asia.

WALLS, maybe we in Maine have lived a ‘protected life.’ You know that there’s been a sign at the ‘entrance to Maine’ that says “Welcome to Maine…..The Way Life Should Be.” Yes, WALLS, let’s make sure people ‘believe.’