Remembering The Past
As she celebrates her 100th birthday, Maria Morales Cabrillo
talks to Youth2day magazine about growing up.
My family didn’t have much money, but my brothers and
I had what we needed. We didn’t feel poor. We were like
everyone else around here. We used to get together with the
other children and play in the street every day. We all got on
well. It was a nice place to be. Everything used to happen in
that street. I got to know my husband in the street. He lived
opposite us. When we got engaged we had a party in the street.
It was wonderful. It’s changed a lot. It’s a lot quieter now. The
children don’t play outside. I know their lives are busier, but
I don’t think the kids are happier. And they’re fatter than we
were! I can’t believe that so many children are overweight
We used to eat three times a day and no more. We had a much
healthier diet. Lots of vegetables, some meat and very little
sugar. There didn’t use to be junk food like crisps and burgers
and no one needed to go on a diet or get fit. Everyone on our
street, children and adults, used to work so hard.
It wasn’t all better. Lots of people smoked. We didn’t know
how bad smoking was. My husband was a regular smoker.
Fortunately, he gave up smoking when our children were born.
My husband used to work in the local shoe factory. He worked
hard but didn’t get paid very much. It was di cult sometimes.
People are richer and their lives are easier now, especially
with the Internet. But our lives were happier then. I wouldn’t
change my life then for anything.