Titi Tuesday Continues
Back in August my Titi turned 90! And boy did we celebrate accordingly. Knowing their audience her kids put together a weekend long event, inviting family and friends that represented 90 years of a life passionately lived. In true Olivia fashion, I waited semi last minute to attempt to put together a slideshow worthy of the woman it honored. Keeping with my MO, I spent every spare moment of 3-4 days organizing and anticipating the big weekend while spilling through 1,000s of pictures and recordings to make sure everything was as perfect as a last minute hyper-fixation allowed. As it goes with unregulated hyper-fixation, burnout isn’t far behind. So, after an incredible weekend and insurance that my grandmother had been filled with all the love she deserved; I happily shut the door on all things Birthday related. Unfortunately, when I close and quite honestly mentally bolt a door shut after a completed task, often everything even closely related goes with it. In this case, a 90-year-old woman and her Titi Tuesdays… But I’ve set her free (she’s fine don’t worry) and we are BACK!
One of the many revelations I had during those two jam packed days was just how important one person’s story can be. Not even referring to the Teresea Mendez butterfly effect that was so glaringly apparent, but the pure interest that those have in continuing to learn about someone’s life. In an age of followers, likes and instant gratification; it is easy to forget why we started to share in the first place. It can often feel like if we don’t deliver something that is seen on a grand scale that it’s not even worth starting. Therefore, it was quite a reality check when I had family, friends, and even people I just met let me know how significant these stories are.
“I always look forward to your Titi Tuesdays!” “I just love what you are doing with your grandmother, it is so special.” “Teresa has lived such a wonderful life! I want to read more”. “What you are doing is so important.” “Keep writing, you have a gift”.
So even if it’s still a good reminder that at the root of it, these stories are for no one else but a little girl and her grandma… It’s wonderful to know that someone’s life, history and voice matters. Because it always has to me.
Without further ado, let’s start back with just a fun little “blurb/memory” shared between one woman, who “thinks” she always gets her way, to another.
Hello Chiquini, before I start telling the story I want to tell you something that happened on Friday because it was just so interesting. I was married in LaPaz Bolivia 70 years ago in1954. Henry was wearing a morning coat that had long tails behind it with striped pants. With this type of formal tux you are supposed to wear an ascot instead of a tie. That is just the way it is supposed to be. We were married in a civil ceremony the day before our wedding day so legally we were already married. The day of our big wedding I was telling him he needed to wear an ascot and he was telling me that he had bought a silver tie and he was going to wear that instead. So we got into a little bit of an argument. I told him ‘nooo, you really have to wear that ascot’. And so the conversation went back and forth. We were at a park and an officer came over and told us we had to leave and Henry got upset saying that he was only talking with his wife and I was thinking ‘well we are really arguing but okay’. It was silly but memorable.
The wedding day came and went, we got married and our life began. Last week I was thinking about our wedding and thinking to myself what everything looked like and how special the day was, and just thought in passing ‘and he wore an ascot’. I went to look at our wedding photos and guess what. He is wearing a TIE. It took me 70 years to realize he hadn’t listened to me and wore the tie. I thought ‘yoouu son of a gun’. It took me 70 years to realize this. I stopped and laughed so hard, thinking I know he is laughing at me right now, and then later I cried so hard. I wish he was here so we could share these silly moments. I thought it was just so funny so I wanted to share it with you.
