{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","title":"sim1 wrote","author_name":"sim1 (npub1gh…cnqad)","author_url":"https://yabu.me/npub1gh85ku2etgwedvhakxpkh073tk3cz5wqldffcd7wqw58ky65874sdcnqad","provider_name":"njump","provider_url":"https://yabu.me","html":"I’ve lived in Germany for nearly four years, and I still don’t speak the language confidently.\n\nPart of that is circumstance. I’m a full-time mum, so I’m not constantly exposed to it. But if I’m honest, there’s another reason; I’ve come to like not fully understanding.\n\nWhen you don’t speak the language fluently, conversations around you turn into background noise instead of information. I’m not automatically processing every word, tone, or social cue. For someone like me who naturally tunes into everything, that’s a relief.\n\nIt feels like “noisy silence.” The world is still loud, but it doesn’t demand my attention in the same way. I can choose when to listen.\n\nThere’s also less pressure in social situations. People expect less small talk, fewer interactions. I’m given space by default.\n\nI guess I’ll be fluent eventually, but for now, I’m actually enjoying the peace of not understanding. \n\nAs they say, “Ignorance is bliss.” For the first time, I’m aware of it while I’m in it.\n"}