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| Abraham Rogatnick and his Murano glass |
Barnes - Involuntary Autobiographical Memore (IAM)
Un ruego de Sancho: "No se muera vuestra merced, señor mío, sino tome mi consejo y viva muchos años, porque la mayor locura que puede hacer un hombre en esta vida es dejarse morir...". Don Quijote de la Mancha
A request from Sancho Panza: “Don’t die your worship, sir of mine, but take my advice and live for many years, as the worst madness that a man can make in this life to let himself die…” Don Quijote de la Mancha
I cannot get out of my mind what my friend, architect Abraham Rogatnick told me a few months before he died, “Alex I am not long for this world and I am glad.”
In my present isolation and loneliness, somehow ameliorated by the constant warm presence of my cats Niño and Niña, I feel that I am waiting. I used to tell Rosemary, “We are WTD (waiting to die).” I then modified that to PTD or preparing to die. Because I studied statistics in college I definitely think of my impending end constantly. While I am not yet suicidal I have wondered how the Canadian MAID affects one’s life insurance.
My will persists because Niño stares at me and tells me (in Spanish), “If you go first who will take care of us?”
The above quote of advice from Sancho Panza brings more IAMs because my abuelita who was well versed in Don Quijote often told me stories about that great Spanish novel. I read it because of her influence and then not too long ago I read it again to find out what the name of Sancho’s donkey was. I found out that the donkey did not have a name and was simply called “el rucio” which means “the spotted one”.
When Rebecca, my oldest granddaughter, was a young girl I took her to a play inspired by Don Quijote. I was happy to find out that she enjoyed herself. Who knows she just might one day think of me as I thought of my abuelita. She inspired me. Might I inspire Rebecca to think of me when I meet my oblivion?
Un ruego de Sancho: "No se muera vuestra merced, señor mío, sino tome mi consejo y viva muchos años, porque la mayor locura que puede hacer un hombre en esta vida es dejarse morir...". Don Quijote de la Mancha
A request from Sancho Panza: “Don’t die your worship, sir of mine, but take my advice and live for many years, as the worst madness that a man can make in this life to let himself die…” Don Quijote de la Mancha
I cannot get out of my mind what my friend, architect Abraham Rogatnick told me a few months before he died, “Alex I am not long for this world and I am glad.”
In my present isolation and loneliness, somehow ameliorated by the constant warm presence of my cats Niño and Niña, I feel that I am waiting. I used to tell Rosemary, “We are WTD (waiting to die).” I then modified that to PTD or preparing to die. Because I studied statistics in college I definitely think of my impending end. While I am not yet suicidal I have wondered how the Canadian MAID affects one’s life insurance.
My will persists because Niño stares at me and tells me (in Spanish), “If you go first who will take care of us?”
The above quote of advice from Sancho Panza brings more IAMs because my abuelita who was well versed in Don Quijote often told me stories about that great Spanish novel. I read it because of her influence and then not too long ago I read it again to find out what the name of Sancho’s donkey was. I found out that the donkey did not have a name and was simply called “el rucio” which means “the spotted one”.
When Rebecca, my oldest granddaughter, was a young girl I took her to a play inspired by Don Quijote (see above link). I was happy to find out that she enjoyed herself. Who knows she just might one day think of me as I thought of my abuelita. She inspired me. Might I inspire Rebecca to think of me when I meet my oblivion?
