When I Speak Spanish, I’m Not Talking About You

I’ll just say it outright: when I speak Spanish in public, I am not talking about you. Actually, usually, I’m talking about myself and my own life or the lives of the people I love. This is one of those topics that you could write about a million times and yet never figure out.

I never understand why the first assumption when someone is speaking Spanish, or any other language for that matter, is that they are talking about someone near them. Personally, as a busy woman, I rarely have as much time to talk on the phone as I’d like, so when I do I have to often combine those conversations with errands, such as picking up dry cleaning or grocery shopping.

So, I end up wanting to talk about health, financial or other personal problems, it’s often at least one layer of privacy to switch languages.  So there you have it: I speak in Spanish in public because I’m hiding something — about myself.  Also, it’s probably because I’m rude and am talking on my cell phone in public.

But then again, if I’m talking to someone else in Spanish in public, it’s either because the both of us are trying to have a personal conversation we don’t want others to know about, or the fact that some things are best said in Spanish, as opposed to English.

What do you think, when do you speak in Spanish in public?

Follow Sara Inés Calderón on Twitter @SaraChicaD