Self-portrait of an illness
26 October, 2015
Solidarity evening “Pongamos fin a la polio” (Let’s bring an end to polio) held with the Rotary Club in the Sant Cugat Auditorium, at which I presented this “Self-portrait of an illness”, and money was raised for 2,800 vaccines, to prevent the transmission of this disease to children all over the world.
The social welfare, culture and education councillors from the Sant Cugat town council attended the event. Doctors Enric Portell and Mª Victòria Amargós from the Institut Guttmann, as well as Josep Roca, a plastic surgeon from System Roca, and the councilwoman Susanna Pellicer, all spoke at the event.
I would like to sincerely thank all those who were with us at the event and who helped us to make this project a reality.
My presentation:
I first met you a long time ago, I don’t remember how long; I was just learning to walk. I don’t remember if it was spring or autumn. I must have met you at the same time as my little neighbour Montse.
My mother, who was always very wise, taught me at an early age that I had to understand things, I had to love and above all, I had to understand others.
I used to always play with you; I remember running and swimming on the beaches of El Masnou. The way we used to ride our bikes. I also remember how, in the summer, my closest friend Lluís and I used to go skating and do underwater diving. I remember how all our friends in school accepted you and understood you.
Time passed. Youth arrived; that crazy time, and I almost forgot you. I started a family; I had two children. But one day, as I was playing in the snow with them, I thought of you, and I know why. But time kept passing and you were gradually being erased from my memory.
It was in New York, where I had a studio. I remember perfectly well how one very cold night in February, returning home from my studio, walking along Fifth Avenue, I bumped into you. What a coincidence! Or not. What is certain is that from that moment on we would be in more regular contact.
Autumn has arrived, that autumn of people in which memories come back; and with them, you have arrived again. But now, at this encounter, I would like to say something important to you that I have never said to you before: I’m a very jealous person and I don’t want you, under any circumstances, my friend polio, to leave me to go off with another child. I will fight to ensure that doesn’t happen.
