De Todo Un Poco - A Little of Everything

Yo quiero saber    I want to know
de todo un poco   a little bit of everything
Yo quiero tener     I want to have
de todo un poco    a little bit of everything
Yo quiero gozar,    I want to enjoy,
yo quiero bailar,    I want to dance,
y quiero cantar     and I want to sing
de todo un poco    a little bit of everything
Yo quiero probar   I want to try
de todo un poco    a little bit of everything
Yo quiero lograr    I want to get
de todo un poco    a little bit of everything
Yo quiero vivir,     I want to live,
Yo quiero reir        I want to laugh
y quiero sentir       and I want to feel
pero de todo un poco just a little bit of everything,
De todo un poco    A little bit of everything (repeat)

     I was sitting in my room last week, toying with my blog and fighting writer's blog like Mike Tyson in 1990.  I figured I needed a little musical distraction. I happened upon my Spanish playlist and it was on! It was like Old San Juan up in here. The only thing missing was a white, sandy beach by my door, and an old man selling mangos at the foot of my bed. Celia Cruz? "Azucar!" Check. Jerry Rivera? Check. Selena? ABSOLUTAMENTE! Check. 

     After doing some solo Salsa moves in my mirror, another song popped in my head.  As I mentally translated the words into English, I suddenly realized what my next blog would be about.  Writer's block just got TKO'ed.  It was a tune I remembered from my childhood, "De Todo Un Poco," the song so pleasantly sung for you now by Michael Lloyd and Le Disc.  For those from my generation, you'll know it's the tune from Dirty Dancing.  I've taken the liberty of translating it for my non-Hispanic readers. 

     The words really got me to thinking: all everyone wants is...a little bit of everything!  We want to be loved,  have a great job, a nice home, a family, be rich, independent, cared for, well-fed.  Content in all areas of life.  As I'm day dreaming and analyzing life, I hear items falling off my table and crashing to the floor.  I knew automatically...Shadow Rascal.  I had to put down my imaginary Margarita and leave my mirage of Mexico that was my room and go see which of my possessions I'd have to glue back together.  Shadow (because of his color) Rascal (because of his actions) is the kitten I'd gotten from my mother as a birthday gift last month.  Only a few weeks old when I received him, he could fit in the palm of your hand and was an adorable ball of gray fur.  Now, he's a terror, instilling fear in all who enter my home, like a four-legged Chucky.  This is the fourth kitten I've had and he's by far the worst.  I walked into the livingroom and surveyed all the broken candlestick holders and vases that were now refuse on my floor, adding the cost of them all in my head.  I couldn't get mad.  I smiled slyly, laughed and thought to myself  Shadow Rascal has de todo un poco, a little of everything.

     Since becoming our newest housemember, Shadow Rascal has turned our lives upside down.  At anytime, you're likely to hear "STOP SHADOW RASCAL!!" or "Get down from there Shadow Rascal!" or "Shadow's tearing ____ up!" or more than likely "I'm gonna kill this kitten!!"  I know he's not intently trying to sabotage what we have.  But he's living without borders, without restrictions and what's great is he doesn't even know it how great that is. 

     Any little thing makes his tail wag.  We got him some kitten toys with bells, whistles and some that makes noise when you squeeze them.  Sure, he enjoys them.  But give him a balled up piece of paper, and his tails wags just as hard.  He has many loves in his life.  He's a leg man!  Being as though that's about as far as he can reach from where he stands, he loves to grab legs.  He doesn't just grab, but jumps on a leg with all fours like a fireman rushing down the pole.  Please don't wear socks!  It's like you're taunting him with mobile, colorful baubles.  He thrusts his body on a passer-by's foot with the might of Crocodile Dundee wrestling a gator. He loves my 10-year-old cat, Cocoa Leavio.  He wants to sleep where Cocoa sleeps, scratch when Cocoa scratches, even eat what Cocoa eats.  I have a box of kitten food in the cabinet that's still about 3/4 full.  After being with us a week, Shadow decided he would only eat Cocoa's food.  He's completely full of bliss and enjoys the life he has.  Why aren't we this way?
     Having Shadow Rascal around is much like having a child in the house.  Children too have a little of everything find happiness in it.  Once an adult, you realize how grand life was when you were young.  George Bernard Shaw said youth is wasted on the young.  You don't understand how carefree life is and how good you have it as a child until you become an adult.  The only job you have is going to school, you may be assigned a couple of chores.  And for that you get an allowance.  My 7-year-old godson, Joseph's, latest gripe with the world: he wants to be allowed to cross the main avenue in my neighborhood by himself so that he can go to the park alone.  Having a "big person," as he likes to say, hold his hand makes him feel like a baby.  How many of us wish someone would hold our hand in public?    Joseph doesn't like to have to eat the dinner prepared for him.  He doesn't understand why can't cook his own food or order pizza every night.  Ladies, wives, single mothers: how many of you wish dinner was cooked and the table was already set after coming home from a lonnnggg day's work?  Boys for some odd reason have the toughest time wanting to keep up with their hygiene.  Joseph despises the fact he has to wash, brush his teeth, put on deodorant, go to the barber with regularity and wear his coat when it's cold, keep his shoes tied, go to school, do his homework, etc.  How many adults wish someone cared enough about them to want to protect them, keep them healthy or assist them with daily tasks?  My aunt made a joke the other day while we were all sitting at my grandmother's house.  She's newly single and we were talking about dating.  She turned to my mother and said, "Remember those days when we were young and didn't want Momma to meet our dates cause we thought she'd embarass us?  Man, now I wish I could take Momma on a date with me!  She'd be able to tell me things about him that I can't see.  She always could, I just didn't  listen then."

    Why aren't we appeased by what God's given us?    You may not live in a mansion, but you're not homeless.  You may not be swimming in gold and riches, but you have yet to starve.  You may not be married to Denzel Washington, but...wait...that's my dream.  Sorry!  You may not love your job, but at least you're not unemployed.  What we want and don't have, we must work hard, and pray harder, to achieve or obtain it.  The wonderful thing is, everyday God blesses us with, we get a chance to go out and get what we want. Yesterday my mind was so swamped with all the things I want to do, don't have the money to do, don't have the opportunity to do, don't have the ability to do.  You know, the devil was working me overtime!  But I woke up this morning and realized the only limits that exist are the ones I place on myself.  And even if I'm not able to do any of the things I want like travel, buy a home, marry Denzel...oops, I did it again, I still have de todo un poco.  That's my wish for you all.  Realize you may not have it all that you want, but you have a little of everything you need! 

PS - LET'S GO YANKEES!  Have a safe and happy Halloween all.

Just some reflections from my heart. Love is contagious, spread it!