Scattered Whispers: It's Really You

“You are still young, so you think only of your own self.  You do not notice the tribulations that occur all around you, to other people.  Do not protest; it is true.  I am not condemning you.  I was as selfish as you, when I was your age.  It is the custom of the young to be selfish.  Now I am wiser.  It’s a pity we cannot put an old head on young shoulders, or you could be wise, too!  But someday you will understand that nobody passes through this world without suffering----no matter what you may think of them and their supposed good fortune.”--Elizabeth Gilbert, THE SIGNATURE OF ALL THINGS
In my desk drawer I came across a couple of ‘un-dated’ postcards from Paloma.  I loved the images.  In postcard #1 she wrote: Dear Michael,Thank you for your cards and letter.  I’m really happy every time I get one.  Sorry I didn’t write very much lately but—as usual—I’ve been very busy.  We really have a lot of work right now with the RESIDENCE full at 80% and we are getting more and more work and responsibilities.Also, we’ve had a big problem.  Two weeks ago I’ve been very depressed for a few days.  Our car (the OPEL VECTRA) has been stolen.  We went out for dinner with Reginald, his wife, Sophie and another friend, Regis…and it was gone.
In postcard #2 she wrote: My friend, Caroline, got married.  Now her sister, Corinne, is next.  They just came to visit me and we talked about the wedding and about you.  Both of them are pregnant and they are going to have their babies almost at the same time (the second child for Caroline).  Did you get the doll?  I really hope you did by now.  I haven’t got the jeans yet but I’m glad you sent them by boat.  I can’t believe how expensive it is by airmail.  I’d better buy my jeans in France then!  I’ll send you some money as so as I can get some dollars.I’ll write again soon…
My Aunt Lela Gallegos-Armijo-Rego sent me a prayer card ‘for children’.  She wrote ‘pray this for all of your nieces and nephew’.  Love, Aunt LelaThe card had this imprint in front:  IF the years have taught me anything, it’s the importance of a lasting friendship…
Inside:Michael, It’s so good having you in my life and knowing what a good friend you are.  Not only a friend but a sweet nephew as well.Love, Aunt LelaShe also included a letter in her own handwriting dated March 4, 1993, evening:
Dearest Nephew,I’m so thrilled you answer my cards and letters.  You’ll never guess how many times I write to nieces and nephews of my family who never let me know if they’re getting mail I send.Vacations are such fun, huh?   It’s awful the first few days back to reality, ugh!  I know how you feel.Being you are not biking, walking or cooking at home have you put on a lot of weight?  How tall are you anyway?Joey has a tendency to pick up weight fast and the first place it shows is in his face (real round, chunky look)!  He’s still not together with Michelle (her choice).  He told me how every long it takes they will reconcile, no divorce in the works at all.  The pain is seeing our “hitos and hitas” so sad over not having a ‘whole’ family. I hate the word dysfunctional, so we use ‘whole’ and ‘part’.  Lil Joey is eight years old and the one noticing the absence of his Dad the most.  So you like the “flicks” too?  Uncle George and I would go to the movies twice a week (Tuesday and Thursday) but now that mom Rego is 91 ½ she’s not too keen on being alone too much, so we’re adding HBO after LENT.  The last one we saw was CHAPLIN (a good movie)!  Uncle George likes the gory, bang-em up ones, so we traded off when we went.  I’d pick one, and then it’s his turn.  My all-time favorite is GONE WITH THE WIND.  I have the Gone with the Wind poster, movie puzzles, plates, figurines, mugs, cards, etc.  Am I a fan or what?

Hey buddy…you’d better be thinking about getting serious pretty soon, huh?  You’ll be celebrating your wedding at a senior citizen’s center. Ha-ha.  Just “funning” with you!  Better to wait and know it’s a lifelong commitment, right (till death do us part)?Sometimes I think maybe my kids should have waited, then I think of all of the joy and love our grandchildren have given us through the years and I know they did the right thing.Mona seems to be handling her five kids really well.  I miss her and Donna so much.  And the seven sweeties I have up there in Washington.  I’m going to visit for EASTER, leaving out of San Jose on the 9th of April, returning the 16th…just a week but I’ll be there for EASTER and two birthdays.  Donna’s baby, Veronica, is our youngest at 9-months.    Our oldest will be 21 years in June.  Can you believe we have ‘18’ of these great lovely dividends?  I love it (Sweet, sweet revenge).  Spoil them awful, and then send them to Mom and Dad to contend.Can you believe I misplaced this letter and just found it the morning of Saturday, March 6th?  Boy…when you get as old as I am the mind is the first thing to go, then gravity sets in the body and everything drops…Varrroooom!  My butt is getting closer to my knees and my boobs are nearing the navel, etc.  But we live with the same frame-of-mind as when we were in high-school, so it is a real eye-opener when we look in the mirror and see this stranger…an old lady!  “Me…this is me!  No, there must be someone else who has overtaken this body!   That old person in the mirror is not me.  No, never!”What a shock when you stand there and stare and the mirror reflection stares back and you know IT’S REALLY YOU!  Oh well, we are not alone because look at all of you kids who are getting older, too.  Joey told me the other day, “Now that I’m thirty and you being nineteen years older than me doesn’t seem like so many years apart.”Yeah, when you slowly start reaching middle-age we “old folks” don’t look that old, huh?   Can you believe I’ll be “50” in June?“Oh no, not me!  I don’t look a day over 48 ½!”Well, I will close for now.  Love, Hugs, Kisses and God Blessing Always,Your Young-At-Heart,Aunt Lela
And I can count on Reed to drop a postcard my way every now and then during his ongoing cruise.  This time he wrote from San Juan, Puerto Rico:
Hi Michael,Only a few more stops and then back to San Francisco on 3/2/93.  The ship is great and ‘lots of food’, etc.  Senior citizens galore…but we are enjoying it all.  Only one cloudy day and I am getting tan a bit at a time.  I’m going into St. Thomas this morning to shop, then on to Nassau. Drop me a line at home.Best, Reed March 7throlled right along.  It was a Malibu Bat Mitzvah for Lauren Freiman.   Mom arrived and I took a photo of her here at our house in Marina Del Rey before we left for the party.  Alan was taking mom in his car.
I had to go and pick up my coworker and date, Kim Dykstra, who I invited to accompany.  Why I invited her I am not sure?  Perhaps because Alan is not totally “OUT” to his family but I believe the gossip will be spread in scattered whisperstoday.  I am sure of it.
I caught a cute photo of Alan dancing with my mom.  We all had such a great time.  I can’t believe Lauren is becoming a young lady already.   She’s a smart cookie.  It will be interesting to see what path she takes in life.
She turned on the radio:  It was playing LA TRAVIATA.Quickly, she changed the channels to a rock station.  The car, the mountains, the last of the sun and an infinite Los Angeles, a loud love song on the radio and the car going fast beneath her (around her).  It doesn’t take much to be HAPPY, she thought.--Joan Juliet Buck, THE ONLY PLACE TO BE