Although change is an inescapable part of life, we all seem
to meet it with varying degrees of resistance. Especially if things change in
ways we don’t expect them to, or want them to.
This was very evident during the 2 day- conference I just
returned from, celebrating CHIA (California Health Care Interpreters
Association) Annual Conference. Having
been in the field for almost 30 years now, I still recall the early days of my
career as a translator, with a manual typewriter and white out. Google? Forget it!
As with almost any industry these, days, the exponential
growth of technology is having a huge impact on our field. Machine translation,
over the phone interpreting, video remote interpreting, are just a few of
the developments we have seen in recent times. And more, of course, is on the
way.
Now, there are many legitimate concerns with the adoption
and use of this technology. There is
much to be done to educate the developers and users of this technology, so that
they actually enhance the availability and quality of language services for
limited English speakers, and provide a meaningful, well compensated and
healthy work environment for the interpreters who will always be indispensable
in this nuanced enterprise of cross linguistic and cross cultural communication.
What I most came away with though, is our fundamental
relationship to change. Is it one of fear? Or one of opportunity?
“The only way that we can live, is if we grow. The only way that we can
grow is if we change. The only way that we can change is if we learn. The only
way we can learn is if we are exposed. And the only way that we can become
exposed is if we throw ourselves out into the open. Do it. Throw yourself.”
― C. JoyBell C.
So next time you are faced with changing circumstances, dear
reader, what is your choice? I, for one, intend on throwing myself out into the
open. Join me?
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