By Darlene DeVita
The following is one in a series of sneak peeks at the upcoming People of Chelsea additions by Chelsea Photographer Darlene DeVita. The new work will ultimately appear on the fence of the Chelsea Public Library (CPL) Spring of 2022 a collaboration between the People of Chelsea project and the CPL. Made possible by the Chelsea Cultural Grant.
101 yrs old. What keeps her moving? 3 cups of black coffee a day, laughter, and an open mind!
I came to Chelsea after my husband died in 1994. I was 75. I took walks every day. I was feeling very down. My husband and I were very close. I said I have to get out of here, you have to pull yourself up.
So I went down to the Senior Center. Marianne Ramos had just started there. She started a Spanish class and I thought I’d do the Spanish class. It was $10 a lesson. It was through the Senior Center that I made friends. [I took a writing class, a yoga class]. One time I had a coughing spell and Josefina was in class with me. She was the only one who came up to me and tried to help. That’s how we got to know each other. Josefina cannot speak English, and I cannot speak Spanish, but somehow, we connected. We still are very close, and we love each other.
I became friends with a proprietor of a store on Broadway. It’s no longer there. She asked me if I could tutor her. She came from Columbia. We got to be friendly and I even went to her wedding. I’ve made good friends here.
I went to Curly’s, when it was Curly’s, almost every day for breakfast. The same people came in at the same time. The politicians came in. The fireman came in to say hello. It was like a little club.
I trained to be a teacher. My father was the superintendent of schools. One day I sat on the desk talking to my high school students. The principal was aghast and said to me; you shouldn’t be sitting on the desk. I taught for 6 mos. I came home and said to my father, I don’t like teaching. I went into the Travelers insurance in Hartford, CT and I got 20 dollars a week, which was 5 more than everybody else. This was 1941.
I was born the day before women were able to vote. They knew what was coming! I think I have lost some of my “mental powers” but I try not too. I do crossword puzzles. I have a desktop computer. I use Google. I blocked off the email. I still like write letters. I have a cell phone! I get Wikipedia on it too! What keeps [me] going, upbeat? I don’t want to die. I know the human body is designed to only get to 120 at the most. I have 18 more years!