Describing and Narrating using "To be" in Spanish

By now, you have observed that there are two different verbs used for the one verb we have in English, "to be". How do you understand the difference between the two and the change in meaning?

Over the years, one of my most popular cheat sheets was my SER vs ESTAR equal signs grap[hic. Sometimes it's best to think in symbols, rather memorize a bunch of rules that you don't have time to think about when you're needing to describe or narrate in the present.

Many folks find it easier to think of the equal sign and the not equal sign to consider how to describe something. Consider these two cheat sheets. I hope you find the concept easier to grasp.