Two Takes on Tradition

Day 48

Saturday

Even the rain clouds love the Costa del Sol so much they want to come back. But this morning, finally waking up feeling like the ‘old Katie’ I have a “let’s give ‘em hell” attitude. It will not be rainy and miserable on the first day I feel like a human after being sick. Laughing at the rain drops as they started to fall I just zip up my jacket and run into the gale strength head winds and let my smile wick the water away. There’s something insanely energizing about running in the rain. Every part of your body is on high alert and every step another adventure- dodging puddles, leaping crevices, and ducking beneath dry overhangs. I don’t care if people stare because I’m running or because I’m smiling as I run in the rain. It feels so good to move.

Later that day I head off to a birthday party BBQ. Can’t say I really knew the invitee really well, but I sure as hell was interested in what a Spanish BBQ might look like. So I tromped off into the torrential rains, getting my usual lost and adding significant time to my expected arrival time, but it doesn’t matter, my arriving 2 hours late was right on time, it’s Spain, half the party was still on its way. Since it was raining the BBQ had moved inside the flat, the kitchen now the hangout area, with a small grill sizzling 4 chorizos at a time. People picked at bread and pounded cheap beer while they awaited their chorizos. I can’t say I really followed much of the conversation because they we’re all Information Technology or Robotics majors at the University. I caught some fascinating tidbits about reconfiguring heaters and jokes about electrons and mis-wiring something or another, but did the required smile, laugh and nod at appropriate moments, feigning both interest and comprehension.

Venturing on to more socially awkward moments I went to an American Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by some other English teachers in Malaga. Being too poor for a turkey we had chicken and being too poor we had pasta. Everyone else brought some other version of poor man’s food (white bread, whipped mashed potatoes from a box, sliced veggies, salad, etc.) Luckily one of the girls there is quite handy in the kitchen and whipped up some meeeeeeeean sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie. She saved the dinner as most of the money was channeled into buy equally cheap wine. We chatted casually in English, laughing about the expected cultural differences, raving about the sweet potatoes, and I like to think reveling in the miraculous ambience- relaxed and enjoyable. A rare combination in Spain for a foreigner. While it wasn’t like any turkey day dinner I’ve ever had I was so grateful for it in its unique way. It made me think of other times when people wore warm smiles and laughed freely. The group was from all over the USA but we all knew how to do Thanksgiving and what a blessing to finally be in the company of people whose mannerisms you could read and anticipate and take part in a ritual you knew by heart. Sure, I’ll always stand by my affirmation that the new and the foreign is alluring, but mmhhh there is something about the familiarity of tradition that brings a deep contentment to your face and sits deep in your soul.

I said that I was grateful for the middle road with all its bumps and mundane stretches, but I’m more grateful for all of who you bring that road to life, who take part in the little routines, the rituals, the traditions and who are such a blessing in my life, granting me the miracle of knowing what it is to love and be loved.

I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOU.

Even though you’re always here with me, I still miss you.