It is unbelievable how everyday items that one might take for granted, could become

iconic for another person. The Eisenhower Dollar has certainly played that function in my life.

Let me explain why: I grew up in the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, where I started to contribute

to my family's economy at a very young age. I used to spend all my school breaks at this

souvenir store, where my mother used to work as a seamstress. "My job" consisted of dusting

showcases filled with the most beautiful, handcrafted objects international tourists would go

crazy about. Cleaning, however, wasn't nearly as fun as it was talking to people, especially these

funny-looking ones that on top of all, would speak such weird words (I mean, "how could they

understand each other?").

Some time went by until I started noticing and remembering a few of those words, so I

told myself, "Hey, why not say some of those words and see what happens?" Well, something

extraordinary did happened. Tourists started to tip me shining dollar coins. I didn't know the

exchange rate, but I could see that they looked so different from the Mexican pesos I was used

to. They also had an eagle in the back, but —unlike the Mexican coat of arms eagle stamped in

our coins— this American eagle was not killing a serpent, nor were there any cacti around!

"They must have forgotten" I thought.

The fact that I found the American eagle stamp in the Eisenhower Dollar so odd,

motivated me to "collect" more of those coins, obviously by speaking more of the strange words. I was then beginning to understand better. I really had no idea that becoming bilingual at such an early age would put me in an advantageous position in my academic/professional life. I just liked the way these coins looked, but especially the sound they made when dropped on my mother's house tile flooring. I kept a couple until constant moving made me lose track of them, but the memory of those coins kept popping into my mind during my U.S. citizenship Oath of Allegiance Ceremony, a few years back.

By the way, have you ever noticed the symphony of sounds that accompanies everyday

life? Well, that is the soundtrack of a different story I hope I get the chance to share with you.