Out Of The Blues Spokane Newcomers Kick ‘Pateando Latas’ By Seeing Big Picture

You will not find the expression pateando latas in a Spanish dictionary. If you look up the words one by one, you’ll find that pateando means kicking, and latas, tin cans.

If you put the words together you will have: kicking tin cans. It doesn’t make much sense, and the literal meaning doesn’t make much sense in Spanish, either. It just means: hitting aluminum containers with the foot.

Young folks have given another concept to the phrase pateando latas: Somebody is alone, walking lazily down an empty street, looking at the sidewalk and striking, if finding one, an empty pop container.

But the content of the phrase pateando latas goes beyond that. It alludes to the fact that the person who walks down the deserted street is not working at the time, is looking for a job, and is not finding one.

Language is a living thing, you know, and people have given this expression an even more subtle, possibly more emotional meaning: Besides defining all those things I said before, pateando latas describes a state of soul, a mixture of solitude, uncertainty, inadequacy, frustration and sadness that a person without a job feels.

What can a person who is pateando latas do in a new city? Try to find a job, knock on doors, and meanwhile - so as not to despair - spend time watching. Let me explain what I mean by watching.

Several years ago, my father was traveling and got stuck in a German airport for 15 hours. He spoke only Spanish, could not read the magazines and books around him, could not talk to the other passengers, could not order a meal. He sat there restless, almost in dismay.

Suddenly, a distinctive thought took shape in his mind. He almost heard a voice saying: “Watch everything carefully.”

(He swears this idea was whispered by God, who lives inside each of us.) He obeyed and started to watch attentively the people who went by, their faces and expressions, the way they moved. He watched the building he was in, the architectural lines, the furniture, even the design on a tile. He watched the plants, their leaves, the aesthetic lines of their veins, each cell and its nucleus. He watched ad infinitum.

Isn’t observation the backbone of science?

It sounds simple, but it meant a transformation in his life. By observing the world so scrupulously, he lives in a state of amazement, giving thanks for perfection, for nature. His life changed because he stopped being angry, impatient, bored, while not in the office.

“If you watch thoughtfully, you will always be learning,” he told me.

Now that you understand the background, I want to share with you my observations of an event that meant a lot to me. I was one of the fortunate hundreds of persons who filled the gymnasium during the Community Colleges of Spokane’s graduation ceremony in June. It was the best one I have attended. It still moves me.

There were caps, gowns, photos. You could hear that buzzing sound excited audiences make. But suddenly, everybody stopped whispering and kept a respectful silence - like the stillness you perceive in church.

With simple words, a student was sharing her personal story with the audience. A young married woman with kids was talking about a life of sickness, drugs, depression. She was talking about touching bottom. And like the tales about miracles, she told us all how she found her way out, how she broke the vicious circle by studying and striving for a better future.

Other students spoke about hardships, strength, faith. Their confessions touched everyone. You could feel the oneness, the greatness, the sacredness of the moment. The graduating students had taken control of their lives, they had completed this first step and it was obvious that the symbolic tokens of recognition - handshakes, smiles, diplomas - stood for a crucial achievement.

They thanked their school, the people who made this possible.

They were referring to the directors, the administrative staff, the teachers, who go out of their way to help the students, all the persons who, from different programs and positions, grant personal support to the woman who had been out of the work force, the young adult who needs training to find a job, the grown man who never had the opportunity to finish high school, the refugee who needs to speak English to get along in life.

The graduation evening was a feast of laughter, cheers and joy. Students were proud of their achievements, parents were proud of their children, daughters and sons were proud to see their fathers or mothers graduate, staff and teachers were proud to know they are helping people make significant changes in their lives.

My father’s advice again proved accurate. Observing the achievements of the people involved in the community colleges filled me with optimism and allowed me to accompany the citizens of Spokane in their pride for their outstanding educational institution.

I stopped feeling pateando latas.

MEMO: Carolina Carlessi moved to Spokane from Lima, Peru. She is teaching Spanish classes and translating.