I sat in Jaggers on the Vrijdagmarkt this morning.  It’s my favourite breakfast place.  Franky, Zita, Jo, Karin and Jill treat me so well.

There’s a sign that has been with me for two years, but one that I’ve never absorbed:

Good Food Good Mood

First of all it’s true.  Add in kind service and a friend or two and you have a fine meal out.

But today I’m also seeing something else.  The four words have the same “oo” spelling but for two of them the sound is “uh”.  For the other two it sounds just like it looks – “oo”.

I think of someone learning English.  And the question comes … “Why?”  I’ve said the same during my efforts to learn Dutch.

Now broader.  “I don’t know” has gradually crept into my life, and now it burns bright.  In the big questions, such as “Who am I?” and “Where am I?”  But also in the sense of not having the knowledge or skill to do something, such as learning a language.

And then there’s empathy.  Although “Good Food Good Mood” rolls off my tongue so easily, other folks may just stare.  Incomprehensible pronunciation.

***

So be kind, Bruce

What I know, they may not

What they know, I may not