Slow Learner

As a language learner, there's nothing more frustrating than realizing that you still haven't mastered the little things-those simple yet important words that can often mean the difference between eating a delicious meal or eating intestines, disembarking the bus at the town center or the suburb 15 kilometers away, or showing up for a coffee with a new friend on time or an hour late.
The most embarrassing little word that I've yet to master is one that is written on the door to the entrance to my language school-TAM.

As with any non-revolving door in any building in any town in any country in the world,there are only two options for opening it-pushing or pulling. Tam (literally meaning "there" and pronounced "Tom") would be push. So why do I, two times a week, always pull that darn door? I've resorted to some of the oldest language learning tricks in the book to remember that TAM is push-association and visualization, and they seem to be working. I must apologize, Uncle Tom. Now, each and every time I walk through those doors, I imagine pushing you down. Resorting to violence against ones own godfather in order to learn a language? By whatever means necessary.

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