Bob's Blog

Elsa is a mother and grandma, and has quite a fulfilling life.
Likes the finer things in life, I’m quite sure, as anyone would.
She’s also a great wife,
Is married to an Argentinean, a tennis freak, but it’s rumored, that he is quite good.

Elsa does things to stay young, fit, and is really quite a catch,
Stays active with dancing all those “sombas”!
Has a Son in Dubais, a teacher, who is very close to finding his life-long match,
To a great Daughter and Grandkid, that keeps her running; aye caramba!

Elsa loves going to Broadway shows and doing things at the Met.
Of course, the Giants is the team she pursues,
And I, being from Dallas, still owe her money, losing a few bets,
Since you know which team have won the last few.

As first cousins, we do strive to stay close, and in touch.
Even though we live far apart, and pretty far away,
We both know that we share a special “Collazo” bond, and as such,
Like our Dads, who were Brothers, we are family; & this will last forever and a day!

Robert Collazo, 10/10/09.  Mi Prima – con mucho carino!

From a little town in Mexico, and humble beginnings, he came,
As a kid working in migrant fields, he and his family would spend every six months of the year there.
Jose recalled what his Dad kept saying that if he didn’t do well in class,
He’d work the migrant fields all his life; and oh, what despair!

How does one get out of the migrant fields, you ask?
Jose knew the answer was by not getting detoured by life’s challenges, and tasks.
Through hard work and education, he calculated that this was the key
He just knew that in those California fields, that was not where he wanted to be.

Jose finally concluded that with good grades, the fields he could soon replace
With some sort of science and engineering career.
But when he heard about the first Hispanic American that had been selected to fly in space,
He got inspired to work for NASA, and knew he’d be an astronaut one day.

Recalling all his tired, dusty days of his youth, he yearned for knowledge.
He studied hard, made good grades, and eventually got a scholarship to college.
With his engineer degree, to NASA, He applied for 12 straight years,
When the day finally came when Jose was finally chosen to be an astronaut;
I bet he could hear the cheers among all his family and peers!

Jose Hernandez, Shuttle Discovery Astronaut/Engineer!

Jose – from one American of Mexican descent to another, you inspire and make me so proud of my Mexican heritage!

Robert Collazo, 10/6/09.

We don’t call him Jimmy or Jim; he won’t go for that.
Because it’s just James, he’d say.
He is a great partner to have, with good street smarts for his age.
A patient man, he won’t lose his cool, even when you try to rattle his cage.

He hails from a little town called Sweeny.
An incredibly loyal guy down to a tee,
But just when you think you know him though
He’ll throw you a curve, everyone agrees.

As a kid, most folks don’t know,
He dressed up and got himself painted green for Halloween.
Trick-or-treating as the “Incredible Hulk”, his favorite of all time,
But the paint wouldn’t wash off that night,
The next day, went to school still shiny and green; and boy, he says, what a delight!

Recently, James lost his Grandpa, a man close to his heart, I know
He told me this man was very good to him and had taught him
About all the good things, and what life would bestow.
Our sympathy, thoughts and prayers to our brother James in his time of need,
and, of course, we wish his Grandpa Godspeed.

Robert Collazo, 10/3/09

Thinking back today after thirty-six years, the day was a Sunday.
Her labor had started on Friday night, very much to our dismay,
For She was only in her seventh month of term.
And it was much too early for our Son to be born.

I can still recall that El Paso night we went in,
It was clear and cool, and there was something in the wind.
As a young man of twenty-one, were my hopes and fears but a whim?
How would I best provide and care for him?

The miracle that occurred after two days of labor, was that he was born alive that day.
Two months a “preemie”, however we were so proud and very blessed,
Even though the doctors said his survival was a long shot at best.
That he would survive, and live to be okay, we prayed, for surely that would be our quest.

By now you know that the Man upstairs answered our prayers that day.
Thinking back on it now, it was more like a sweet fragrant bouquet when we finally saw his little face.
For we never could we have imagined thirty-six years ago,
That our  Son would change our lives forever that day, enriching it so in such a great, big way!

Robert Collazo, 9/30/09.  Happy Birthday, Son!  We love you…

Seems like only yesterday; well, maybe not.
But looking back, Javier reminded me that it was a long time ago
When he and I both worked in that chicken plant in a USDA spot.
The seventies had not ended, and the twin towers were still a jewel.
Yes, we worked hard; but times were simple and very cool.

In what now seems to be a long ago time ago, we were young, foolish, & just trying to get ahead.
Both of us thought we knew what we wanted at the time.
To get out of that noise and grime in that place we did dread.
We both hoped to get promoted, to build a successful career & up the ladder we hoped to climb,
I wasn’t quite sure of what the future held, but knew if I stayed in that plant, I’d soon be brain dead.

Looking back, I think
Realize now that I should have taken more time to listen to God’s Master Plan.
Where back then, all we thought about was making overtime and how much beer we could drink.
But was that really the measure of a man?
I don’t believe, but did not know it at the time.

I thank you now, my friend, for telling me to stay with it when I wanted to quit, to keep plugging away & that it would soon be alright,
You knew we had to figure it out ourselves,
What the Man upstairs already knew.
That his measure, his legacy, his worth, is much more than what we thought of back then in that long-ago time.
It’s very good that my long-time friend would remind me of this, and of what we both pursued that is now so sublime.

Robert Collazo, 9/18/09.  sublime = inspiring

It seems like only yesterday,
When I was just a kid; and my fuzzy memories of that day resurrect
When I presented a gift to Dad that I made in school in the form of a cardboard display.
I remember how my Dad treated it like some sort of golden object;
By him doing that, he made me feel the most special one that day!

But it’s no wonder, for all who know this man, know that he’s always been
About doing all for his kids; and he would intentionally take second fiddle to us, so to speak.
My memory of him to this day when I picture him in my mind is his generous grin.
Yet, he was our protector, our strength; but more than anything else,
My Dad was everything to his four sons, for his love for us shined deep within.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!
Your family all loves you!

Robert Collazo, 6/21/09

Life is sweet with the right person beside you.
Like an old sweater, that feels “just right”,
A Soul Mate can make you see life anew.
Like peanut butter and jelly, they are surely a God-send, and a delight.

When you hear of breakups and a high divorce rate,
Yet you still have your Soul Mate,
Then count your lucky stars,
For the world is a better place for you to be in, without any scars.

Now if you know what I mean,
Then chances are that you have the right person beside you.
For when life throws you a curve into your routine,
You and your Soul Mate, will surely shine and get through.

Robert Collazo, 5/23/09

There once was a Princess who had bad feet.
At first, not uncomfortable, and not knowing what they were,
The lady soon learned that her feet kept getting worse, and started to hurt.
Knew she could not wait or defer,
For they’d keep her from walking soon, she reasonably concurred.
So to get better, and not to deviate; she soon had the surgery to alleviate.

The story then goes that her feet were corrected in a matter of time,
For while she was laid up, to help and assist, of course, she had her prince, then disguised as an ugly frog.
For when she needed him, what else could she do, but ring her bell.
The ugly frog fed, cared, and mended her; held her steady, and wouldn’t let her fall.
Wouldn’t you know, he’d get everything ready, and soon
The ugly frog turned into a Prince after all.

Robert Collazo, 5/15/09

Recalling boyhood memories when I was just a lad,
The memory most prevalent and at the forefront of my mind
Was when my brother Bill was deathly sick with polio; when we were so upset and so sad.
Even now, fifty something years later, recalling what happened,
The range of mixed emotions flood back to me, and they are really bad and sad.

It was 1956, my parents along with my other brother Frank, and I
Had to leave our brother in the hospital for some time.
All Frank and I could do was cry, and we kept asking why,
Why our brother had to stay in there, and why we were going home, and he was not with us.
I know now they had him in isolation, but all we knew then was that we couldn’t touch him or hug him to say good-bye.

We didn’t know then what this “polio” wrath was, or that it was sickening all so quick;
Was going on throughout the world, and was paralyzing or laming other kids.
All we knew then was that it was our brother that was in there so alone, so ill and so bleak.
I don’t wish anyone to have to go through what we did back then; no, God forbid.
But I still wonder sometimes, why it happened; and just thinking of that time makes me so very heartsick.

Some say there is a reason for all, and I suppose that could possibly be true.
For the times that my brothers and I shared now,
Have brought us closer, and tighter than glue.
Funny, I don’t recall ever talking to my brother of that time; or of the disease he did elude.
However, the end result was that my brother survived one of life’s biggest challenges;
Is a stronger person for it; and we are just glad that his life was renewed.

Robert Collazo, 5/2/09.