Hello, my friend!
This week, a lunch with friends and a very loud car ride. A little about acupuncture and a podcast worth a listen, too.
↓ In today’s email:
- This week’s inspiration: Music, a thing of many wings
- Latest blog post: Acupuncture side effects and what to expect
- What I’m listening to: Rick Rubin in conversation with Dr. Paul Conti
This Week’s Inspiration: Music, a thing of many wings
If I’m a late-blooming Taylor Swift fan, it’s because of a 19-year-old I recently drove home. Desperate teen pathos seems to translate across decades and languages.
So here’s the story…
I am blessed to speak three languages. When I was a Latin American Studies major at Barnard, my mother said, “With your Spanish and Portuguese, you’ll never have trouble finding a nanny.” At the time, I was horrified. But, needless to say, she was right.
Most importantly, being multilingual has given me the ability to inhabit multiple universes. At a time when so many are afraid of being deported they tell me so, in their native tongues. I’m a person of privilege for many reasons. Through language, I hear things people like me don’t.
This past week I had lunch with two of my favorite people, both undocumented, at a restaurant called El Salvadoreño. They are among the finest people I know. The younger one, Elizabeth, had a stroke nine years ago that should have killed her. In fact, it did. She saw angels, was given the choice to live, and came back. Literally from the dead at Newport Hospital.
The stroke did do some damage.
People who have strokes often lose the ability to speak. On top of that, people who speak multiple languages will often lose their acquired language while keeping their native language more or less intact. In Elizabeth’s case, the opposite happened. When she came back, she could only speak English. A problem, because most of her family doesn’t speak English at all.
For the last two years, Elizabeth and her mother, Clara, have barely left the house for fear of deportation. But recently they told me they wanted out. They couldn’t stay home any longer! Who could blame them? So we met at El Salvadoreño in New Bedford. Our time together was short but joyful, and what better way could I spend my day off?
All the while, I couldn’t let myself imagine the place swarmed by ICE agents.
There was no incident, unless you count eating way too many fried plantains, scrambled eggs, and beans on homemade tortillas. We laughed a lot, and we also had hard conversations about how I can’t protect them. Without my Spanish, and without the chance to know these people, my life would be poorer. I thank God for them.
I’m also fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. Recently my friend Maria, who is undocumented, said, “Estou com medo de ir para Fall River,” meaning, “I’m scared to go to Fall River, and I need to drive my niece home.”
I said, “Of course, I’d be happy to drive her.”
Enter Taylor Swift.
This undocumented young woman, 19 years old, jumped in my car. When I asked what music she wanted to listen to, she said emphatically, “Dade Stif.” I eventually figured out she wanted Taylor. So off we went, my car driving itself and making tight, fast turns, my hands off the wheel and the music blaring. She giggled and screamed with excitement!
We all remember blasting music and driving around when we were young (hopefully not drinking). But for this undocumented kid, moments like this are rare, if not impossible.
In an unstable world, one wonders how to comport oneself. Even people far more powerful than me can barely move the needle.
But collectively, we can be decent people, and in concert, I believe we matter.
Please remember to vote on Tuesday! Find your polling place here.
(All names and locations were changed, but the story is very real.)
Latest Blog Post
Acupuncture Side Effects: What to Expect in Treatment
Okay, now that we’ve handled our biggest order of business for the day, it’s a smoother ride. Thank you for getting this far 🙏🙏
I’m deeply grateful that so many clients come to me for their very first acupuncture experience. What an honor.
For those who haven’t tried but need some stress reduction, here’s a little info in case you’re acupuncture-curious. The post walks through what you might notice after a treatment, including tiredness or minor soreness and bruising. It also covers questions to discuss with your practitioner and what to do if you have concerns afterward.
And ofc, a link to book an appointment too.
What I’m Listening To This Week
Rick Rubin and Dr. Paul Conti
Seemingly most podcast hosts have become bored. Not so with Rick Rubin. This episode of his podcast, Tetragrammaton, is a thoughtful conversation with Dr. Paul Conti about his path to becoming a physician, the role of psychedelics in modern psychiatry, and what to know about dream interpretation, those letters from our subconscious.
Enjoy!
Dr. Catherine
Photograph by Sasha Israel.