La Voz de Galicia – October 25, 2024 →
Every morning, when I lived at my parents’ house, we had breakfast with the radio on. My father had his station tuned in on an old transistor radio, and over milk and cookies, we would listen and laugh together, as it was one of those morning shows with lots of music and humor. When I left to study away from home, I stayed hooked on the radio, and even now, whenever I hear one of the songs that became popular back then, I feel emotional thinking of my father and me in the kitchen, singing along out of tune at seven in the morning before starting the day.
My relationship with the radio is an intimate one. During the years when I was constantly traveling, I would always sleep with it on. When I clean the house, it’s always there with me. If I’m alone when I shower, I take it with me then, too. The radio keeps me company; it’s like an extension of my private life, a soundtrack to the everyday. And even though I still don’t have a television at home, when my mother comes to stay with me, I feel that for her, it’s the television that’s essential for keeping a foothold in the world, for feeling connected and accompanied. Television fills her life in a society that often treats older people as invisible. My sister Yoly and I know which shows make our mother laugh, which ones make her feel good, and from a distance, we try to ensure that she’s well accompanied in her daily solitude. I once heard comedian and host Roberto Vilar say that, to him, success means being able to keep people company, and the truth is that nowadays, television that provides companionship, that makes us smile and learn, is an essential pillar for a very important part of our society.
