ctorres716 posted: " Mike Torres, Sr. #52EssaysNextWave 1/52 #52SlicesOfChingonaLife Saturday Night. It's a little over 40 degrees, cold for us in California. I've just convinced my father to sit for at least 10 minutes instead of going to bed (after he just got done"
Saturday Night. It's a little over 40 degrees, cold for us in California. I've just convinced my father to sit for at least 10 minutes instead of going to bed (after he just got done eating dinner). I'm in the living room writing, and Dad is in one of his favorite chairs behind me, reading.
Every few minutes, he starts to read out loud from his book. And then he says, "I'm Gonna Live Until I Die", I'm like, "Obvio" (obviously). But, as he explains the concept to me, I totally understand my father. Basically, he wants to do what he wants and wants to live each moment to the fullest, he doesn't want to live life afraid about what could happen to him, doesn't want to be bedridden or anything like that.
Dad is 86 years young. Every time I tell people, "I take care of my Dad", people automatically think that I'm caring for a typical 'viejito', old, barely able to get around, sick. Thankfully, here is our reality. Our father still plays music, drives, goes out for his cafecito, has his favorite places for getting "a taquito", the cleaners to care for his wardrobe, his favorite hardware stores, the place where he gets his hats and where they clean them, his "herrero", yes, Dad has a welder who helps him with his many DIY projects, he goes and picks up "el viejito", a kind gentleman who is younger than Dad, who helps his around the Ranch, and more. My worries are "is Dad home?" when it starts getting dark/late and then I usually start texting my siblings to see if they have seen Dad or if they know where he might be. I'm 100% known for yelling at my father about coming home late and this or that...sometimes he listens, most times though...
Even though I go crazy sometimes caring for and worrying about Dad, especially with Covid19 surging, I always say a prayer of thanks for Dad's health and life. I tease him that he's gonna die of "la buena vida", it may well be true that Mike Torres has the secret to longevity: living 100% until you die.
I'm going to add this to my 2022 goals. If it works for Dad, it might work for me.
Enjoy the video I just took of him talking about this subject. Love him.
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