Boon and bane

I frequently get asked how my Spanish is. It seems to me that this is kind of like asking someone how good of a spouse they are. In answering one must navigate between the Scylla of arrogance and the Charybdis of false modesty. I will never regard myself as fluent because I know that I am a perpetual learner. There is so much involved in mastering a language that I know I will never achieve. So I usually describe my Spanish as serviceable or functional. It certainly has been helpful to be functional.

I have discovered of late that my Spanish is just a little too good for my own good. What I mean is that many people that I speak with assess my Spanish as good enough that they don't have to be simple with me. Instead, they speak at full speed and complexity assuming that I'm following along without a problem. I suppose I'd be flattered if I wasn't so busy trying to keep up!