Memories...

I've had a hard time dealing since the first day I drove my dad to pick up Uncle Jorge to go to the hospital. When I received my dad's text about Jorge's passing, I paused and stared at my phone. I had just gotten out of the shower and was getting dressed. I slowly pulled the towel off my head and immediately starting balling into it. I didnt stop crying for about 30 mins until I realized I was about to late to coach. For the last 2 days it was come in waves, either I'm crying or numb to the world. I dont think I've gotten a handle on my feelings as I havent been able to really talk about them. I havent been able to speak to my father about his brother's passing and thats what I think I really need to do in order to truly feel ok. My father, mother, brother, and I were very close to Jorge. He was the only Hinojosa family I knew while growing up, he and Albert.
In honor of Christy's post about her memories, I'd like to share my own.

Just about every weekend of my entire childhood consisted of Jorge. Every saturday in the summer He, Nick, and Dave would come over to bbq at our house. They'd have some beer, sit and talk in the driveway about old times, new things going on, eat ribs, chicken, baked beans, tortillas and most importantly they'd eventually get out their guitars and play. They'd start the night with Tequila Sunrise almost every time. Jorge would play some Santana and my dad would watch his brother in admiration as he'd try to learn. Jorge would tell jokes and craft roses out of paper towels. I'd retrieve more food and beer to fuel the music and My mom would get suckered in to singing at some point. I'd listen in to conversations and songs while sitting inside b/c I couldnt stand the mosquitoes. Uncle Nick would eventually come inside, thump me on the forehead and tell me I should go to sleep.

My dad looked forward to golf outings with Jorge and Mario. Even tho they became few and far between. Jorge is the reason he bought those clubs to begin with.

Jorge would bring over a poster boards of his latest DNR patches that were presented at the beginning of every hunting season. He'd bring over some to give to Dad, Nick and Dave too.

As I got older and he'd visit, we'd sometimes do a 'round robin' cartoon comic strip with my dad, Nick and Dave. He'd start with drawing a shape or figure and pass it to the next person, who would add 1 thing to it and pass it on, so on etc. until, after an hour or so u'd have a full on cartoon comic strip of something ridiculous. It'd be something gory, explicit, and off the wall... always.

I remember the first time Jorge "caught" me singing Selena when I was 11. He knocked on my door and told me that I had a beautiful voice and was surprised I could sing in spanish without me knowing anything I was saying. The next day he brought me a real microphone that I could hook it into my dads huge boom box. He told me I'll need to practice singing into one...

Jorge always encouraged my musical and cultural interests. He always wanted me to show him the dances I learned in Ballet Folklorico, always wanted me to play my flute for him, always wanted me to sing Selena for him... but I always resisted. I quit dancing, but came back every so often to do solos and special dances for our productions. At our last production, during dress rehearsal I noticed that our backdrop was hand painted. Admiring it, I looked around for the artist's name near the edge of the painting... low and behold it read, Jorge Hinojosa. The immense pride I felt when I saw my uncle's name on that canvas was indescribable. I danced 10 times harder during our 6 performance production, b/c of him.

Christy is right, every song is an Eagles song or Santana, Jimi Hendrix. And Jorge always wears those cut of jean shorts... I've never seen him in anything else, ever. Thats the Jorge I'll remember :)