Page 14 - Senior Link Magazine Spring 2020- Online Magazine

2 2 HONORING SENIORS

Senior Senior Macario &

Carmen Cisneros

The Power

of Stories

by Erica Martinez

I helped to shape me into the
come from a family of
person I am today.
storytellers. Every time we see
each other, someone has a new
story to tell. My grandfather Macario My Weeta was born and grew
and my grandmother Carmen are, in up in Slaton, Texas, with her
my opinion, the ultimate storytellers. three brothers. My Weeto was
They are a treasure trove of good born and grew up in Southland,
stories. My Weeta and Weeto like to Texas, about eight miles from
tell about their childhoods, about Slaton with 15 siblings. My
the 25 plus years my Weeta worked Weeta married my Weeto in
at Amigos, about my mom and 1963, and my aunt and my mom
my aunt when they were growing were born soon after. The family
up (which are the funniest ones, moved to Lubbock in 1970 to the
especially when I ask my mom about house that became the setting of
it later), and about my cousins and my childhood.
me and the weird things we used to Each of my grandparents tells
do as kids.
stories differently. When I visit
The names Weeta and Weeto even their house, I listen to my Weeta
have a story behind them. When my tell stories of the past, stories
oldest cousin was a baby, he couldn’t of the good, the bad, and the crochet, which many have compared
pronounce Abuelita or Abuelito (the joyous. She tells stories about her to works of art. Passion goes into
Spanish words for grandmother and time in the band in high school, each piece, whether she is creating a
grandfather) correctly, so the result about walking to school every blanket or a pair of house shoes.
was Weeta and Weeto (pronounced day, and the adventure she would My Weeto can tell the best stories as
wee-tah and wee-toe). When the have on that walk. She tells stories well. When I go to Southland with
rest of us came along, my other two about being a troop leader for Girl him to visit his sisters, we always
cousins and then me and my Scouts and the time that they made pass by a small adobe house with a
brother, the names had stuck. But homemade tortillas that were so log fence. My Weeto will sometimes
these names represent two of the good, the girls wanted seconds even pull over and tell me a story of that
most important people who have before everyone had gotten one.
She also tells stories through her little house where he grew up. The

14 Lubbock Senior Link