But my parents acted like, <br><i>If she goes to a local school, she'll figure it out.</i> <br>I had no special English prep beforehand at all. <br>I wished they'd thought about what it was like for me to be thrown into all that. <br>My two older siblings actually got by fine with that approach. <br>Ah, smart people are really something else. <hr> Being in a place totally out of my element– I’d freeze up, unable to do anything. <br>My shoulders trembled with anxiety and fear. <br>The people around me were at a loss, too, but English I didn't know stayed as English I didn't know. <br>Their words would fly right over my head. <br>Were they words of curiosity or interest? Insults or hostility? Concern or sympathy? I couldn’t even tell. <br>My greatest weapon at times like that was just a smile. <hr> The truth is, the only thing I could do at times like that was show a smile. <br>That's all there was to it. <hr> But you know, smiles... <br>They're like a pair of mirrors that reflect each other. <br>When I smiled, they smiled back. It's soooo simple! <hr> And you know what? I learned something. <br>People really do love beautiful things. <br>Seeing a charming, lovely smile makes people kinder. <hr> That moment when eyes meet and a face softens into a smile. That's when “Love is Justice” is born.