Another issue

Question

Nope. No real instruction can convey with clarity how to use the different past tenses in Spanish. This is just another attempt here to try and make it "clear." it is not.

Spanish fluency was a goal of mine, but really not so much any longer. Basically, because no one can really "instruct" on how to learn the language. The only way to learn it is to revert to "infancy" and just hear it spoken. So, move to a Spanish-speaking country or region and pick up what you can. Most disheartening thing I have ever attempted to do is learning Spanish.

Accepted Answer

Hola G m
I'm not quite sure what it is you find so unclear about this lesson. I agree that mastering the use of the different past tenses in Spanish and becoming very fluent on this specific area is quite tricky. This is one of the most interesting parts of Spanish grammar in fact, that makes our language very special and rich. 
This use of the imperfect tense though is one that is actually quite straight forward. When you refer to actions in the past that happened repeatedly or things that you used to do you need the imperfect in Spanish:
I used to go to church (repeated action I did in the past, habit in the past):
Yo iba a la iglesia.
I used to get up early. (repeated action I did in the past, habit in the past):
Yo me despertaba temprano.
Happy to clarify your specific doubt here.
Saludos

Answer

G m, it’s been a while since your post, but I want to say that it’s worth it to keep plugging away at learning Spanish.  There are breakthrough moments, and sometimes you come back to an old topic and see it in a new way and suddenly understand it better.  I’m convinced that some of language learning takes place subconsciously and needs time.  But keep using the language as well.  (BTW, I rarely use the subjunctive or the imperfect here in Mexico and have no problem being understood.)