Remembering My Grandparents

Mexican Lucha Libre

How many followers of www.being50.com  remember fondly spending time with your grandfather as a child?  In my case my memories go back to the age of 5 and 6 years old. I recall that my grandfather was a tall proud Spaniard, he was born in Galicia, Spain, and somehow ended up in Mexico and met and married my grandmother.  My grandmother and grandfathers story is a lot more than a bit hazy to me. 

When my grandmother was in her late 70’s I flew her to Washington State from California to visit with my mother (Posting: My Mother vs. Hulk Hogan, 2/16/13).  She and I didn’t sleep that first night she arrived, we spent the whole night talking about family history.  I now wish I had asked more information about how she and my grandfather met.  I did get important details about my grandfather; where he was born his full, name and his parent’s names, where he lived in Mexico.  I do have one living relative that still has all her brain cells intact, and may be able to fill in the blanks.

My grandmother was one of three daughters born to her father and mother.  Her mother passed away first, and when her father died the three daughters were left to handle the land and cattle operation they inherited.  The girls were treated more like princesses than business partners, consequently they were not prepared to handle the responsibility.  In time the land holdings (a couple thousand acres) and cattle operation fell behind in every way including government owed taxes.  Eventually the government put a lien on the property, I remember that even as late as late 50’s my father had a family discussion about what it would take to pay the back taxes and recover the land.  By then the taxes and other charges were very unreasonable and definitely not the prudent thing to do.

My grandfather was a traveling salesman and for that reason he was rarely around but when he was, he would take me to sporting events, Lucha Libre (Mexican professional wrestling) bull fights, boxing, baseball, and soccer.  I was always proud to hang out with my grandfather.  He was a tall good looking man close to if not 6 feet tall, with proportionate weight.  At around age 5 and 6 he most usually carried me on his shoulders, so I always had a bird’s eye view of the surroundings.  He always had plenty of money to spend on me, it seems we were always eating or drinking something.  It was very difficult not to feel spoiled.

Whenever he returned from a trip he would always bring me a gift that was unique to the area he was returning from.  Since I was the first born grandson, and the next born grandchild was a girl, I never had any competition, I guess that was the beginnings of the good old boys club.  Within the next couple of years my family moved to the USA, and soon after my mother and father divorced, and I never saw my grandfather again.  I heard that he passed away in the late 70’s, and I had a pang of regret for having lost contact with him.  The best is yet to come….