Fidel Castro died today.
That Cuban Guy. Leader of the Communistic Regime in Cuba for a Kazillion years. Well, for as long as most of us can remember.
He can be described as a lot of things. Marxist–Leninist and Cuban nationalist. Dictator. Oppressor. But historically, he was a politician and revolutionary who governed the Republic of Cuba….. as Prime Minister from 1959 to 1976. And then… from 1976 to 2008 … as President.
The thing about Castro…. the guy was crusty. That’s the best word I can come up for him. Crusty. The reason for my comment on this? It seemed like he wasn’t going anywhere. It looked as though he would live forever. He ruled Cuba through 11 different USA Presidential Administrations. Every time you would see this guy, on TV, in a news reel, or in a photo… he seemed to be a slow-ager. The kind of person that was going to live to be as old as Methuselah.
But he did die. Today. And I have a theory on that. It starts at the beginning.
Cute little Crusty Castro… in his little crib. His Momma’s name was Lina Ruz González. As it turns out, he was born out of wedlock. His father had become a wealthy sugar farmer. His mother was one of the household servants. I imagine this greatly disturbed Little Boy Castro.
As a result, throughout his entire life, he longed for the perfect family upbringing. (He was shipped off to live with a teacher pretty early in life.) So yep. He wanted the Cleavers. (And not the kind he used in the torture rooms.)
And then it happened. The most significant year of his life. 1969.
No, as you can see, this was much later than The Bay of Pigs. This was bigger.
This was the year that the Brady Bunch aired on TV. Yes, this American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz, made Castro wobbly at the knees. He could not get enough of this show… and specifically… Carol Brady. The show aired from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC.
And, boy oh boy, did that change his life. He fell madly in love with the idea of the Brady Bunch. He longed to be Mike Brady. Just a simple guy, with a wife and kids…. eating Cheerios around the orange formica kitchen table every morning. Telling Alice to pick up some milk and bologna down at Sam’s Market. That’s what little Crusty wanted more than life itself.
In 1975, he started calling Florence Henderson on a regular basis. He wrote her letters. Sent her flowers. Bought her a dog named Tiger. She refused all his correspondence.
Yep. Fidel had it bad for Carol Brady.
And yes, Florence Henderson, aka Carol Brady, died two days ago. It was too much for Fidel to bear.
He gave up on life, the very next day.
You can fact check me on this. It may not do you any good…. but you surely can. He died while watching the “Broken Nose” Episode. Right when Marcia got popped in the face with the football.
The truth of a broken heart. From Cuba with Love.
Yes… just another little observation of mine. That spans the oceans, and the airways, of time.
Coincidentally. Today I observed something else…. which was much more significant. The true kindness and love… of people in my life. Yesterday, I mentioned that I had some struggles. The outpouring of kindness from good people has been overwhelming. So many fine people, showing concern, helpfulness, and compassion. I am truly grateful. So I thank you. For all the help, and wisdom, and advice.
I hope I can learn to be a better person from all of this.
At least, better than Castro.