Language Barriers

I would like to start this off by saying that it is not intended to represent political views of any sort. I write based only on my own experiences or the experiences of those close to me and represent only my own perception of things. blah blah blah

Not long ago, there was a fair amount of chatter in the newspapers and on the news about an area establishment that had posted a sign indicating that non-English speaking folks were not welcome. Apparently what they really meant was that if a customer did not order in English, then the employees would not understand them, as the employees were unfamiliar with other languages. I hadn't thought all that much about it at the time. It really didn't affect me, I mean, I don't eat cheese steak and I do speak English, so why be bothered. At the same time, however, I thought (think) that it is a matter of respect that, when taking up residence in a new place, one learn the language or dialect of said place. (At least carry with you a handbook of common phrases.) I realize that this is a very touchy subject for some, and I don't wish to ruffle any feathers (if anyone even reads this) - my apologies if you're already ruffled. In any event, a give and take is necessary here. We would all do well to expand our minds with some "extra phrases".
To get on with my own experiences with the language barrier, I seem to be running into this type of obstacle more and more lately. It is not always a "language" issue, but rather a general communication barrier. It may be something that occurs at work, where I will present instructions to someone only to have them do the complete opposite of what I said.....is it in my delivery, or is it a problem with the reception? It may come in the form of a simple misunderstanding....Me: "What?!? You want me to put the dog in the fryer??" M: "No, you J*ck*ss! Check the clothes in the dryer!"
Or, it may be an actual problem with language. For instance, I was in Staples the other day looking for a refill for my favorite pen. Of course, I was having quite a bit of trouble locating the proper refill and said to the kind looking customer next to me, "why is it, when you find a favorite pen, you can never find the right refill". The lovely lady looked at me with the blankest (is that a word?) expression I have seen in a long time. She pointed toward customer service and said, "You go ask help there". Yeah, English was not exactly her first language. Oh well. So much for small talk in the pen aisle.
This would not have struck me so funny if not for a recent softball game that I played in. (yes, there is a connection between pen shopping and softball playing)(?huh?)
So, in this game, I thought that I recognized one of the players on the opposing team as someone that I played basketball with a few years back. At one point in the game, while we were on defense, I took the opportunity to ask one of the base runners the name of this player. I looked at the runner on second base and said, "Is your teammate's name Jennifer?"
The runner looked at me, right in the eye, pointed to her ear and mouthed the words, "I'm deaf".

What are the chances of that??

I love to talk to people, so tend to do that wherever I go. Perhaps the recent situations are a hint to me to just shut up. Hmm.......