By Hook Or By Crook

By Hook Or By Crook

After the age of 8 my parents separated (soon divorced) and I was raised by a single mother.  Sound familiar, I guess back than like today it happened a lot.  We lived in Salinas, California when my parents decided to go their separate ways.

Being originally from Tampico, Tamaulipas my mother decided to move to Texas to be closer to her family, while remaining in US to allow me the opportunity to be all I could be.  This post is not about my successful life story it’s about one very small aspect of living with my mother, and how she made the rules to meet her needs.  First of all out of all the cities in Texas, we ended up in Harlingen (no rhyme or reason), without having family or friends there.

My mother was very extremely resourceful, she immediately landed a full time job at a food processing plant (casa fria), and a part time job to make ends meet.  Her goal was to get the best house she could afford in the best neighborhood (safest) she could afford to raise me in.  Unlike many families in similar situations we had one major thing going for us, permanent residency (green cards).

She was determined to make sure I had a college education, and a religious upbringing.  Like many children, I had a sharp mind that was open to learning.  All I needed was a proper atmosphere, and good teachers.  Texas was and has always had a great reputation for a top educational system.  School was a very easy sell for me, I loved learning, and still do.

 

The hook or by crook part also known as the carrot and the stick, was when it came to church.  For example if I wanted to get my fifty cent weekly allowance, and go to the movies on Sunday afternoon, I had to go to church.  Sometimes I would claim to be sick, and my mother would say, fine stay home, but you are not going anywhere else.  All of a sudden I would make a miraculous recovery and go to church.

 

If all went well and I behaved, my mother would take me to lunch at a special tortilleria where they sold menudo, caldo de res, pollo en mole, and barbacoa with rice and beans, and hot tortillas right off the parrilla.

Life was good, but it was even better when I acted like a model child.  El major de los tiempos….