Cuando y era un joven de 19 años (when I was a 19-year-old young man) I spent some time in Londres (London).
While there I visited the National Gallery.
At 19 years old, most of the paintings bored me.
I’d just been in Rome for four months and I was immune and indifferent to all that “old stuff.”
To my 19-year-old mind, the paintings just seemed like more “boring old stuff.”
But one of the paintings was unique.
I was mesmerized.
I felt like it was alive.
It was as though it emitted life energy.
All the other paintings felt dead, flat and inanimate in comparison.
The amazing thing was that the painting almost looked like a kid could have painted it.
It was just a vase of sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh. I am sure you know of the painting, but seeing it in a book is nothing compared to seeing it in real life.
I’ll never forget turning the corner and standing transfixed by Sunflowers.
Even though it was surrounded by masterpieces, it moved me in a way that made the others seem lifeless. I felt its spirit.
He somehow captured in paint the life essence of a sunflower.
My words cannot do justice to the emotions it will stir up if you have the opportunity to see the painting in real life.
How can that happen?
How can oil, canvas and a frame feel alive… especially to a 19-year-old?
No tengo ni idea.(I have no idea.) I only know that I felt it.
Somehow Vincent put his emotion and energy into paint, and I would feel it 96 years later.
His emotions and energy live on even 124 years after his death.
Some things are beyond words.
Humans are special.
Very special!
When you connect with another human, that is something magical.
Maybe you feel the wonderment that still lives in me thanks to Vincent.
Remember this next time you talk to one of your amigos: your goodwill, emotion and energy say more than your words.
In the same way that a photo in a book can’t do justice to a Van Gogh masterpiece, textbooks can’t do justice to the living Spanish language.
In the end it won’t matter much if you say ser instead of estar, por rather than para or use the direct object pronoun instead of the indirect object pronoun…
What matters is your goodwill, emotion and intention to connect with your prójimo (fellowman).
I know of no faster way to start connecting in Spanish than the 138 words in Synergy Spanish. Once I show you the patterns to put the words together you can make as many as 88,000 phrases.
Combine those words and patterns with your passion, friendliness and respect and you’ll make real connections with Spanish speakers.
You’ll build lifelong friendships.
Your mind will open up in ways that make you feel energized and more alive than ever.
You’ll experience connections with your fellow man that’ll make your life sparkle in new, magical ways.
You’ll meet people that you never could have met without Spanish.
If you’re like me, meeting those wonderful people will change you life and your worldview forever.
If you put 10 percent of the emotions and energy into communicating in Spanish that Vincent put into his paintings, you won’t believe where this journey will take you.
