I spent Xmas with an older Portuguese lady.
She has spent years in the US.
She discovered a box of books in the basement, left by the previous owners. She gave me a book with gold leaf edging from 1895. Because it was in good condition. Literally judging a book by the cover. She had not even read the title.
We had a discussion on how I should ask for a raise. And how, since I'm eating vegetables, I should try that diet that Marie Osmand went on. On tv. It worked for her! This was not so much a discussion as free advice. From her.
What we did get into a heated discussion about was facts. And how something she had heard was something she understood to be true. For instance, she had heard there was 7 women of every man. And if it was not true now-although you must admit there are more women in government and in colleges now!! If it's not still true, it was true once. When she heard it. I asked her if it might have been true about just the senior population. She seemed puzzled by a confusion of the facts. And why more words would make a statement more true.
I remember having a difficult discussion with her son when I was 14. I said that I was in the middle of literally 100 books. He said, "Literally?" and fought me like all teenage boys do, with forceful logic. (Think Hendrik in Little Night Music)
She said that he called her, so that she could speak to her grandkids for Xmas. All she told us was how mad she was about her daughter in law. She was on the phone with her for half and hour and the girl didn't even introduce herself!
She has spent years in the US.
She discovered a box of books in the basement, left by the previous owners. She gave me a book with gold leaf edging from 1895. Because it was in good condition. Literally judging a book by the cover. She had not even read the title.
We had a discussion on how I should ask for a raise. And how, since I'm eating vegetables, I should try that diet that Marie Osmand went on. On tv. It worked for her! This was not so much a discussion as free advice. From her.
What we did get into a heated discussion about was facts. And how something she had heard was something she understood to be true. For instance, she had heard there was 7 women of every man. And if it was not true now-although you must admit there are more women in government and in colleges now!! If it's not still true, it was true once. When she heard it. I asked her if it might have been true about just the senior population. She seemed puzzled by a confusion of the facts. And why more words would make a statement more true.
I remember having a difficult discussion with her son when I was 14. I said that I was in the middle of literally 100 books. He said, "Literally?" and fought me like all teenage boys do, with forceful logic. (Think Hendrik in Little Night Music)
She said that he called her, so that she could speak to her grandkids for Xmas. All she told us was how mad she was about her daughter in law. She was on the phone with her for half and hour and the girl didn't even introduce herself!
