Wendy Rader-Konofalski has a solo art show coming up soon at Victor’s Celtic Coffee Shop in Redmond just as her exhibit at the Polish Home is coming to an end.

Although history books highlight mostly well-known individuals whose names are etched onto pages, it is important to recognize the countless forgotten names without whom these prominent figures would not be who they were. Just as every architectural marvel requires architects, builders, suppliers, and craftsmen, every king relies on their subjects, and every tradition depends on the individuals who nurture it.
Each one of us has a personal history that intertwines with the broader narratives of society, nation, culture, and civilization. We carry the legacy of our ancestors while simultaneously contributing to the ongoing creation of history for our descendants. Consciously or not, actively or passively, we all weave a tapestry of history.

A few days ago, while driving on Route 2 towards Sultan, my Spotify Daily Mix playlist suddenly played a song I hadn’t heard in years. It was Republika’s “Biała Flaga” (“White Flag”), and the first verse was “Where are my friends?” (“Gdzie są moi przyjaciele?”). When I got home, the song was still in my head, and I kept asking myself this question: Where are our friends?

We left them behind when we moved. They left us behind when they moved. There were a few friendships from high school that survived our turbulent times and all the departures. Some lasted for years, but we stopped responding to their Christmas cards, and they stopped sending them. Some just faded away as we had nothing in common and nothing to say.

Then we ended up in Seattle and heard about the Seattle Freeze.

False friends in language, much like in life, can lead to misunderstandings. These are words in two languages that look or sound similar but have different meanings. For instance, the Polish “konfident” means an informant or betrayer, while the English “confident” refers to someone who is self-assured. Being aware of such false friends helps avoid miscommunication, ensuring that we use words correctly in different contexts, whether in everyday conversation or professional settings, and makes cross-language exchanges smoother. Read the article and turn false friands to your conversational companions.