The Lens:
As I have mentioned (probably ad nauseam, by now), I am a direct descendant of Jose Francisco Ortega*. I have also mentioned delving into my family history to see how many of us descendants of JFO there are. This has led to finding a connection to some very notable names in California history.
My husband’s sister and cousin, and I have a text thread. We send each other miscellaneous stuff all the time. This week, the cousin sent me another connection to JFO I didn’t know about. This cousin is reading Linda Ronstadt’s new book Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands. Apparently, Linda Ronstadt is connected to JFO.
It is unclear to me if she is a direct descendant or has cousins who are (in that case I would be connected by marriage). I have since ordered the book, not just because I want to verify the relationship myself (I do like to check my facts), but because, well, I’m not sure.
Years ago, Linda did an interview at Santa Clara University where my sons went to school. We got wind of it through a mailer from the university. My husband, son, and I went to see her. Why? Who knows. It sounded like fun.
It was interesting to see her. Funny, though, the only thing I really remember from the interview was Linda taking exception to the interviewer saying Bob Dylan couldn’t sing. Linda in a somewhat gentle but, in no uncertain terms, disagrees. But, I digress.
I don’t have a lot of time to read, right now – something I relayed to my husband’s cousin. She indicated you can open the book anywhere and read. My kind of book these days. So, I have it on order.
During this thread, my sister-in-law mentioned a sort-of new documentary called Linda and the Mockingbirds. I had the night to myself last night so I decided to watch it. Why? Well, why not.
It wasn’t so much about Linda as it was about what it is to be Mexican American and the importance of culture.
A bit of a digression again here but . . . One interesting scene in the movie was an old clip from many years ago where Linda was about to perform songs of her heritage. The interviewer commented that her father was half Mexican. She corrected the interviewer saying her father was actually 100% Mexican. The interview devolves from there.
The interviewer then asks how many generations Linda has to go back to find her Mexican names. Linda gets more testy – much in the same was she took exception to the comment about Bob Dylan’s singing abilities. The interviewer just gave up and moved on.
Anyway, while the movie wasn’t so much about Linda, it does touch on her kindness and generosity. It also gives you a sense of her deep connection to her Mexican roots, how important she feels it is to keep a connection to one’s heritage, and how she has helped others by facilitating their ability to keep that connection.
The Refraction:
I have seen Linda Ronstadt in concert, and in a personal interview. I have watched a movie/documentary in which she plays an integral role. I have watched biographies of her.
Why? Because I like her music. And, she is somebody. She is a Grammy Award winning singer/artist with numerous albums across many genres of music. Had she not been this person of note – suppose she was just a regular ol’ person like me – there wouldn’t be any movies/books, etc., about her because there wouldn’t be a reason to want to learn about her.
Even if she is a descendant of JFO, without her notoriety, her name would just be one more in the sea of names of descendants.
As I find out more about my ancestors, I am finding quite a few who had some form of notoriety. That is, they were people whom others knew of, even if not personally.
These ancestors are not going down in history the way JFO has, but, still, the acknowledgement of their existence went beyond those who knew them personally or descended from them.
Being the great, great, great (etc.) granddaughter of Jose Francisco Ortega, I have always felt a sense of being somebody. Then a bit of reality sets in.
There isn’t anybody on this earth who has “heard of” me. Either you know me or you don’t. Plain and simple. I’d like to change that. I am working on it. Yet, odds are, that will never happen.
And, even if it did, even if I gained a teensy amount of notoriety of my own, not attached to someone I am descended from, would that make me somebody? As I talk about in my “A Summer Storm” post, I am one of 8 billion people here on this earth. How can anybody be “somebody” amid 8 billion people?
*Posts related to JFO: “One Person’s Sorrow,” “Degrees of Separation,” “Top Down, Bottom Up”