Judith Filc
 
Translation
Coaching
Editing 
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Translation
  • Coaching and Editing
  • Examples
    • Translated Paper, Spanish > English
    • Edited Paper, English
    • Edited Paper, Spanish
    • Literary Translation, Essay, Spanish > English
    • Literary Translation: Poetry, Spanish > English
  • What Clients Say
  • Blog

Empathy

8/30/2020

0 Comments

 
​ Whenever I have a Kindle or a pen in my hand or am looking at a computer screen, I feel (illogically) angry: while I can read poetry and essays from any time in history and enjoy the thoughts they encourage in me; while I take pleasure in researching and writing, and in translating from practically any language into English or Spanish, I have to ask help to open a juice box and to be handed anything that’s out of my reach, and I have to wheel myself to go wherever I need to go. How come if my brain can travel anywhere, my legs can’t? How come if my brain has the power of thought, imagination, and problem-solving, my arms can’t reach and my hands can’t open?
But then I remember that time when I was quite younger than I am now and used to walk the streets of Buenos Aires, the Argentinean city where I grew up. I would see a person in a wheel chair, and that chair was pushed by someone else – a spouse, a parent, or a caregiver. The person’s legs looked thin and weak. Their bent hand showed stiff fingers. Their head was tilted to the right, and their face, fixed in a smile. And I would pass by them or let them pass by without more than a glance, trying hard to avoid looking at them. And I wouldn’t wonder about their life beyond the wheelchair.
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.