"Some are skinny like chicken lips. Some are baggy like soggy Band-Aids, after you get out of the bathtub. I don't care what kind I get. Just as long as I get hips."
I found it easy to relate with drawing my own desires as a young boy. When I was young there were many aspects of men and women that were foreign to me. Seeing my dad with all kinds of facial hair, his manly work hands, and other features I hoped that I too would become a distinguished man. Although I have plenty of hair my hands and features still seem to be of a young man awaiting his arrival to adulthood. The third sentence which claims it doesn't matter what kind, just as long as she gets them, is comical and accurate. I notice the many kinds of patterns that facial hair can take along with hair lines and hair thickness in old men. The thought that I will most likely go bald in the future is sad, and seeing the many bald men who wander around only affirms this fear, but the mere fact that there are hundreds of outcomes is funny and exciting. I could be an old man with distinguished enormous ears and white hair, or I could be that frail man who giggles alot. Perhaps even the senile crazy down the street is my future. She just wanted hips, and I just want some hair when I'm old :).
I use to be a photo man at Walgreens so I enjoyed that she too worked with the material. There are certainly some shady characters that enter the workplace, no matter the field or location, so I found it amusing that I wasn't the only one to experience that. Her experience in particular was much more damaging than anything I have ever dealt with at the office but equally, working in a new environment is awkward and challenging. Despite her young age, I admired her will to help the family and take legal issues, such as her age, out of the equation.
I think the book itself is an excellent portrait of what Cisneros' life may have been like. I grew up a little white boy hopping in and out of trees, similar to Meme or Juan, but I never had a shortage of meats or foods, some considered a luxury to Esperanza. The rice sandwich impacted me with relations to my time spent in Tennessee. I completely understand her desire to sit and eat lunch as a regular person in the Canteen. I often sat alone when I wasn't lucky enough to spend lunch with my older sister. Belongingness is a key factor to functioning as a human and more importantly a happy individual. Her desire was similar to mine which helped me understand her circumstance better.
I'm a white male in the most white male dominant country. It's unnerving at times being in situations where I'm the minority because I feel they will judge me just based on my "fortunate" appearance. I say fortunate because I know I have had less hardships simply because of the way I look compared to those who may be Hispanic, African-American, or otherwise. It's difficult being the majority and especially when I find racial discrimination absurd and ignorant. I try my best to fully understand people on all of their aspects, not simply on their projected appearance. Taking time to assess how people act and why they might act this way is a big step to understanding your own actions.
I'm American and I'm okay with that. I'm not too political so it's hard to be the noble patriot, but I certainly have values that will not be cast aside at a moments notice. Convictions and aspirations separate people who may seem the same but act independently. My resilience is a cultural and environmental trait that I am proud to have and it reflects on my parents and family. I think it's a trait that Esperanza and I share along with most people in the world.
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