It Is Monday … Again!

This is the beginning of the week; a beginning which comes right on the heels of a very busy weekend … one of the those that leaves you feeling totally exhausted and needing of a, well, restful weekend to recuperate…

Except that there won’t be one. It is late already in the day and this morning there was an English ESL class to give. Truly, it was not one of my better efforts and when the next class time comes around on Wednesday, I promise to give them twice as much … not of the same … but of the right stuff…

This seems that is going to be one of those days when time moves awfully slowly, with every minute taking an hour or so; one of those days when the sun shines a little darker and the wind puffs a little stronger … and colder. Have you ever lived through one or two of these days? I think we all have, or will… there is no explanation, although in my case I will blame the long night and short sleep, following the long two weeks and the seemingly insurmountable amount of adrenalin which flushed my system(s) during this time period. The flow is finally beginning to slow down and the effect is that same one which is probably felt by a long distance runner who has given his all … and come in last … The mind and the body just refuse to go on and want to go into, like a yawning bear at winter’s door, total hibernation.

But, unfortunately, all those waiting due (and overdue) payments on the basics of life will not wait; they demand that no matter what the feelings may be, off to work we go. Like the dwarves in that famous story we all knew as children, we pick up our shovels, our ladles and pails and go off to the mines so that today’s ore can be picked up. No, I do not go away singing, just trudging along… Did you ever wonder where these little guys ever went with their ore? Where was this converted into the currency which would allow them to pay for the electricity, the food, their collective mortgage, etc? No? … well, I did when I was younger, long before the honest understanding of what a fantasy story came along to enlighten me and, at the same time, cut down my innocent enjoyment of these very tales.

Anyway, as the day will wane, so I hope this “blues” feeling does. Nothing really matters; nothing really moves me today. Yet, this roller coaster feeling brought on by our (un)friendly adrenaline “insufficiency” has to be managed, and a “five hour” boost will simply not do.

While looking at a documentary based on the life of a gentleman I knew as a child, it struck me that on this You Tube site (/Cienfuegos, Cuba), there were several short films that were shot in the fifties, and in venues our family frequented. One in particular, showing summer swimming meets of the 50’s, caught my attention. As the very blurry images came on, my sister and cousin were very recognizable on the girls’ side. Unfortunately, the boys’ side was not so clear and the faces were not recognizable. Most likely, one of the two or three taller boys was yours truly, but I could not pinpoint my grinning face image. But the curiosity “damage” factor was already done, and the memories began to come through…

The two in the middle are
my sister and cousin... cute, huh?

 We, as a team, were subjected to what amounted to be a very laughable training schedule. Our coaches believed that these summer activities were to amuse and “entertain” us, not to kill us by wanting to eat the rest of the world while it was still alive. Therefore, whenever we came up against one of those juggernaut teams with a military like mentality for training and development, we did not fare well in the water. But we had a blast! Yet, and surprisingly, we did win our fair share of meets. It was indeed a fun time we had and, I guess, their objective was met. Memories are good and, having come across some of those guys with whom team colors were shared at the time, they have told me that they also have the good memories.

I think ... I am the second
from the right ... but won't swear to it

 At the Yacht Club, three things were “sacred” and in this order: crewing, a sport which gave the club a good name and many trophies; fencing and swimming. My older cousin(s) were part of the crew which won Cuba’s title at one point in the mid/late 50’s, and went on to the Pan American games as national representatives. There they did not fare as well, managing to make it to the quarterfinals. But in Cuba, where it counted… they went undefeated that year. Each regatta was an occasion for joy and celebration. And there were 5 of these during the long summer. At the end, the season culminated in a ball at the winning club facilities where the champions were officially presented to the world … well, OK, to the other members of the club, invitees and friends. It was fun; the air was full of festive feelings and people were always smiling and congratulating each other, even if they wouldn’t know what to do with an oar, if one ever found its way into their hands. In the meantime we, the swimmers, went on spraying and slapping water as we made it through our laps. No, we did not go undefeated, just undaunted.

The Cienfuegos Yacht Club
Main Entrance.

 This is a snapshot of a little bit of our summer lives, whenever it was I was not at my stepfather’s farm getting up at 4am in order to milk cows, which I also loved to do. I must say, my swimming experiences brought on a gold medal years later at the PacNW competitions (Senior High School level) and, during the Army service, it allowed me to go on special duty every once in a while, whenever a lifesaver or a water safety instructor was needed. This is how I met my first daughter’s mother … Not bad…

Well, it is time to go and face the reality of this harsh world. But this entry had to get done first; it has become a top priority for me to communicate with and to you on as close to a daily basis as it can get done.

Thanks for all you comments and support during these past two weeks… They have meant much ... God Bless You!!

Be Well … Be back!!

Final Notes:

• Pray for those who are fighting an illness which may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and counts!!
• Any comments please send to otherboxp@yahoo.com; it comes directly to me. I promise to read all coming messages, and answer as many as I can.
• Remember:  We are “On Air” every Sunday night at 6:30pm EST (GT –5hrs).  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theotherbox If the link does not work, please just copy and paste to your address bar.