Engakufunda Kubaba Wami: Akukaze Kwephuze Kakhulu

-Delile

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Ekukhuleni kwami, ubaba, uPedro, wayengumfana wasepulazini emaphandleni aseSpain. Kamuva waba usolwandle ongumhwebi, futhi iminyaka engu-30 ngemva kwalokho, wasebenza njengomakhenikha we-MTA waseNew York City. UPapi wami, njengoba ngimbiza kanjalo, akazazi izinselelo ezinzima ngokomzimba. Ngokwemvelo (nangokuhweba), indoda engu-5-foot-8 ibilokhu incike futhi ithonisiwe. Futhi nakuba ayengemude, emi eduze komkakhe u-Violeta ongamafidi amahlanu namantombazanyana amabili, wazithwala njengomdondoshiya ongenza noma yini. Washintsha igumbi elingaphansi elinodaka e-Queens, NY, ikhaya laba yigumbi lomndeni elisebenza ngokugcwele waze wakha neshede likakhonkolo ngemuva kwegalaji-ukubaleka kwakhe endlini egcwele abesifazane.

Kodwa kubaba, ukuvivinya umzimba kwakuyindlela yokuthola umsebenzi wokugcina owawuhlinzeka umndeni ayewuthanda. Noma kunjalo, wayekuqonda ukubaluleka kwako. Yize ayengakaze azifundele, wasifundisa indlela yokugibela amabhayisikili. Futhi yize kwakunzima ukunyathela amanzi, wasibhalisela izifundo zokubhukuda e-YMCA yendawo. Waze wasiyisa ku-6 a.m. izikhathi zethenisi ngeMigqibelo ngemva kokufika ekhaya evela emsebenzini ophindwe kabili phakathi kwamabili ebusuku bangayizolo. Abazali bami nabo basibhalisela i-gymnastics, i-karate nokudansa.

Ngempela, besingamantombazane asebenzayo kakhulu engiwaziyo. Kodwa lapho sifika esikoleni esiphakeme, mina noMaria sayishiya imisebenzi yethu sancamela ukuba yintsha egcwele ulaka. Akekho kithi owabuyela esimweni sokuqina kwaze kwaba ngaphezu kweminyaka eyishumi kamuva lapho sisekuqaleni kweminyaka engama-20 ubudala futhi ngaqala ukusebenza njengomsizi womhleli ekwethulweni komagazini omusha wabesifazane kazwelonke obizwa ngokuthi Impilo Yabesifazane. NgoSepthemba 2005, sobabili sabhalisela i-sprint triathlon yethu yokuqala.

Ukubuyela ezimpandeni zami ezisebenzayo, ngenxa yembewu abazali bami ababeyitshale ngokuhlakanipha kusenesikhathi, ngazizwa ngilungile. Ngemuva kwe-triathlon yami yokuqala, ngaqhubeka ngenza amanye ayisishiyagalolunye (womabili amabanga e-sprint nawama-Olimpiki). Ngenkathi ngiba yintatheli ezizimele ekwindla ka-2008, ngathola isikhathi esithe xaxa sokuhamba ngebhayisikili futhi ngifeze imisebenzi emikhulu yokuhamba ngebhayisikili, kufaka phakathi ukuhamba ngezinyawo ukusuka eSan Francisco kuya ku-LA ngoJuni odlule (buka isiqeshana sohambo lwami lwamamayela angu-545, izinsuku eziyisikhombisa). Muva nje, ngiphothule iNike Women's Half Marathon eWashington, D.C.-engathi ngelinye ilanga, iholele kuyo yonke.

Endleleni, abazali bami bebemi eceleni futhi baqeda ulayini wezinhlanga zami. Ngemuva kwalokho, ubaba wabuyela ebhizinisini njengenjwayelo, okwakungukuthatha umhlalaphansi okuvilaphayo. Kepha kungekudala-ikakhulukazi ngoba cishe wayengakaze ahlale athule isikhathi eside kangaka-uPapi wami wakhathazeka, wathukuthela futhi waba buhlungu ngenxa yokuhamba. Indlu iqale ukunuka uBengay futhi ubukeka emdala kakhulu kuneminyaka yakhe engama-67.

NgoDisemba ka-'08, ngatshela abazali bami ukuthi ngoKhisimusi, engangikufuna nje ukuthi bajoyine ijimu. Ngangazi ukuthi ukujuluka nokuzijabulisa kuzobajabulisa kakhulu. Kepha umcabango wokukhokha imali ukuze uhambe esitimeleni wabonakala uyindida kubo. Babekwazi ukuhambahamba endaweni, okuyinto ababevame ukuyenza. Eqinisweni, kwakuphakathi kokunye kokuhambahamba ekuseni lapho uPapi wami azithela phezu kwe-tai chi yamahhala epaki eliseduze. Wabona umakhelwane wakhe ongumakhelwane, uSanda, nomakhelwane wakhe ongaphesheya komgwaqo, uLily, wayesedlula. Lapho sebeqedile, wababuza ngakho. Futhi ezizwa enokuzethemba okuncane ngesisu sakhe ngemuva kokuthatha umhlalaphansi, wanquma ukujoyina.

Ngokushesha, uPapi wami waqala ukuhlangana nomakhelwane bakhe abanezinwele zesiliva cishe nsuku zonke ukuzivocavoca umzimba wasendulo wamaShayina. Singakaqapheli, wayehamba izinsuku ezinhlanu kuya kweziyisithupha ngesonto. Uqale ukusho le nkulumo, "Uma ungayisebenzisi, uyalahlekelwa yiyo," ngegama lakhe elijiyile laseSpain. Waqala ukuzizwa futhi ebukeka engcono. Abangane nomndeni balubonile ushintsho base beqala ukujoyina yena-yize kungekho noyedwa owayekwazi ukuhambisana nokuziphatha kwakhe nokuziphatha komsebenzi. Lapho evakashela udadewabo eSpain ngalelo hlobo, wenza i-tai chi egcekeni lapho akhulela khona.

Ukuvuna izinzuzo kuguqulele iPapi yami emathubeni amaningi okuqina. Lapho kuvuleka i-pool yendawo, yena nomama wami babhalisela ukuvivinya umzimba kwabadala nakuba ayengakaze akhululeke emanzini. Baqala ukuya kathathu ngesonto futhi bazithola benamathela ngemva kwekilasi, besebenza ngamasu abo. Baqala futhi ngezikhathi ezithile ukuya ejimini yendawo ehambisana nedamu, ngakho-ke yena wenza khokha (noma ngabe kubongwa okuncane kakhulu ngesaphulelo) ukuze uhambe ngetreadmill. Ngokushesha, phakathi kwe-tai chi, ukufunda ukubhukuda, nokushaya i-gym, zonke izinsuku zesonto lakhe-njengokungathi ngisemncane-wayegcwele imisebenzi ejabulisayo. Ngokokuqala ngqa empilweni yakhe, wayenokuzilibazisa futhi wayebathanda.

Ngothando lwakhe olusha lwazo zonke izinto ukufaneleka kanye nokuziqhenya okungenakuphikwa ngokufunda ukubhukuda lapho esecela eminyakeni engu-60, uPapi wami wanquma ukuthi kwase kuyisikhathi sokufunda ukugibela ibhayisikili eneminyaka engu-72. ifreyimu yokuhamba ephansi kanye nesali le-cushy ebelikulungele lokho. Mina nodadewethu sa-oda amasondo okuqeqesha abantu abadala futhi sanikeza owayengumakhenikha wangaphambili (iPapi lami!) Ukuba awafake. Ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa, samyisa emgwaqeni othulile, ogcwele izihlahla futhi sahamba eceleni kwakhe njengoba ehamba ngezinyawo ngokuqapha nangokuhamba kancane, egibela okokuqala empilweni yakhe. Wayenovalo ngokuwa, kodwa asizange simshiye. Wakwazi ukugibela ehla enyuka ngomgwaqo ihora eligcwele.

Ukuqina kwakhe kwesibindi akuphelanga lapho. UPapi wami uyaqhubeka nokuphonsela inselelo umzimba wakhe ngezindlela ezimangalisayo. Ngesonto eledlule ngosuku lwakhe lokuzalwa lwama-73, wagijima (ngokushesha okukhulu, empeleni!) Ngekhayithi elindizayo epaki. Usanda kuthwala "ithoshi" emcimbini wesiziba sakhe se-Senior Olympics, lapho iqembu lakhe lawina khona uchungechunge lwezinselelo zamaqembu. Noma nini lapho ngibhekana neTimeTime noPapi wami, uthanda ukusukuma, asukume kancane ukuze ngibone isiqu sakhe esigcwele, futhi angiguqulele. Kwenza inhliziyo yami ivuvukale futhi ukumamatheka kwami ​​kukhulise.

Owayengumfana wasepulazini, olwandle, nomakhenikha usesimweni esihle kakhulu sempilo yakhe maphakathi neminyaka yama-70s-udokotela wakhe ufunge ukuthi uzophila abe yikhulu (okusho ukuthi eminye iminyaka engu-27 yokuzijwayeza ukuqina!). Njengombhali, ngihlala ngidonswa izingcaphuno zabanye ababhali, njengo-C. Lewis, owaduma wathi, "Awukaze umdala kakhulu ukuthi ungabeka omunye umgomo noma ukuphupha iphupho elisha." (U-Lewis wabhala umsebenzi wakhe othengisa kakhulu, IziKronike zaseNarnia, eminyakeni yakhe yama-50!) Futhi kimi, lokho kufingqa ngaphezu kwanoma yini enye—esinye seziningi, eziningi ezimangalisayo zezifundo zokuphila uPapi angifundise zona.

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