Well, it wasn't much Latin, I promise you that. Was Latin fun? LOL, it was horrible! But I did learn some good habits that have followed me though life.

First of all, Latin itself felt more like a discipline than a language. I never learned to speak it, though some people can actually speak Latin. It's benefits to me were more abstract.

Mostly, it contributed to my sense of discipline, order and structure: how to structure a sentence, how to structure a project, how to structure a drawing, how to structure anything.  It gave me a sense of order and discipline, and it contributed to my English vocabulary, as well as helping me learn the Romance languages.  

My Latin teacher was very dry. She spoke in a monotone that put me to sleep, or at least, launched me on a daydream or two. But she was a very clever woman in her own way. She gave us an exercise that she practiced herself to stay focused, and suggested that we do the same.

You want to know what she did?  She washed dishes. She went into an elaborate description about how washing dishes gives you a sense of accomplishment because at some point, you finish them. The sparkly dishes that you made so clean that they squeak, will give you a sense of pride. The warm soapy water on your hands is very soothing. What she gave us was a mantra. It was very calming. And now, she said, in this relaxed state, do your Latin homework.

Hah! I don't know how many parents sent her flowers for that suggestion, but she triggered something off in me. I washed every dish in sight, polished the silver, shined pots... and you know what? It actually did help my focus. I was on a roll.

All it took was "starting" something, and finishing. ACTION! Nothing seemed overwhelming after washing that pile of dishes, and the terror of "getting started" on anything seemed to have disappeared. You are all familiar with the "just get it started" syndrome. Well this helped.

My Rx for the day is if you find yourself stuck in a rut, don't worry. Wash the dishes, then go right back to your project. It'll go better because much of the stress associated with "starting" will have been erased. It works.