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So even if you're not a writer or a poet (yet), there's still plenty of fun things to do at the Armadillo!
Oh baby, oh baby!
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marilyn on
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And shoot the parrot? But seriously -- it has to be disheartening. Must be the "why" behind social worker burnout. Good luck Carol!
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Permalink Reply by Bmichael on
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Last July, my company hired a Spanish language interpreter, a very nice lady from Cuba, who had been in the United States for a little over a year – her name is Lourdes.
We quickly became work friends and I began watching out for her – explaining the company and its policies, the questionable part of town that she settled in, better routes to work, the Kentucky Derby, etc.
And because I had spent ten years in Miami, I was familiar with Cuban lifestyles and culture. Lourdes and I got along just fine. She brings me flan…and I bring her wild mushroom soup.
While her husband currently works two jobs, she has one, and is going to school for…undecided…at this time.
They live in a much better place now, along with their rescued dog from Ecuador, named Rita, in a furniture-less apartment, with a Christmas tree that has been fenced off to protect it from Rita – who apparently hates only two things - Christmas trees and squirrels.
And as time went by, trust developed and she began to tell me things about her life. It began with pictures of her mom – still in Cuba – her sister in Venezuela, who’s going through a divorce and is now alone – a situation that is apparently quite dangerous in that country – and recently dropped a bombshell.
Or two.
“I don’t know how to celebrate Christmas” she said, as she looked at the tree, wreaths, and decorations in my office.
“Huh? What do you mean? You’re Catholic…”
She stared at the floor, and spoke very softly. “ Since 1959, it’s not allowed.”
Ok…I get the godless communist thing…and there won’t be any decorations…or churches… or public displays…but how can they stop …”
“He can.”
I’ll never forget her look, nor the defeat in her voice
(more)
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Permalink Reply by Carol T on
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This better have a happy ending, B, because so far it's really bumming me out.
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Me, too! And, er, how can she have a Christmas tree if she doesn't know how to celebrate Christmas? More, please ....
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I think she probably meant the rituals that we follow for the holidays – traditions that each of us have followed over the years – gathering at someone’s house, a relative’s special recipe that only appears at Christmas, singing carols, watching movies – she doesn’t have them yet.
I suggested that she watch some of the old movies – It’s a Wonderful Life, Charlie Brown Christmas, A Christmas Carol, etc. to get an idea what we’ve grown up with.
Since she’s never been allowed to openly practice her religion before, I smile at the little pamphlets she gets in the mail strewn on her desk -filled with mini-sermons and stories. She asked if it was ok to send me copies of the ones she likes, so every Sunday I get an email.
Her family is scattered across the hemisphere, and likely will be for years to come…although they are now talking of trying to bring her sister here.
The happy ending, of course, is that they made it here from Cuba and have started the citizenship process. But it hasn’t been easy – there are some very large hoops to jump through to get to America – and remain. But it’s not really an ending – it’s a continuing process.
I don’t ask many questions – I wait for her to tell me what she wants and when she’s comfortable. But there’s been unsettling stories of flying to Ecuador, long bus rides up the continent and through the Mexican cartel territory…arriving in Miami…seeking sponsorship…staying in shelters…
We’ll see what happens…:-)
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Update:
So, I saw Lourdes today at work and asked her how her Christmas went.
Very happily, she talked of the church she found that held Christmas services in Spanish. She also mentioned that she was in the process of arranging to bring her sister up from Venezuela.
We then began discussions of how to break a lease (if necessary) which included (and concluded) that they could simply leave (in the middle of the night, preferably)…find a new place…and use me as a reference in which I would verify that they rented a home from me for the last two years… and during that time was almost never late with the rent – because nobody believes in perfection anymore…they think it’s a scam.
And all of this naturally segued into a political discussion about US immigration policies and opinions (mostly mine), in which she took a very humanistic approach, while I took a more pragmatic stand about the issues – which resulted in an unfortunate comment about her origins in a third world police state , in which my rapid exit from her office was just barely preceded by a flying hairbrush.
Hmm…I think I’m in looove…
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Verry interesting! We have an illegal immigrant living across the street -- a 30-year-old guy who came here from Brazil when he was 17. So too old (and not educated enough) for the Dream Act. But! Would be a perfect citizen -- smart (smarter than most college educated types), hard-working, funny, providing a good living for his (American-born) wife and kids.
What's the answer? I don't know. Just that our repressive laws prevent people from getting their green cards, embarking on a path to citizenship and, btw, paying income taxes and social security taxes and and and .... practically speaking, of course.
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Even though this is a tad late, I knew all you literary types would still enjoy it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwkH1SAwphY&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch...
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