Tom_Curran's Blog

As Fidel Castro tells the citizens of Cuba he is finished as President of the island nation, thousands of Tampa Bay Area residents pause to reflect about the past. Even this kid from Canada has a Cuba connection. In the 1930's, 40's and 50's my Grandfather was the Canadian branch manager of the Bank of Nova Scotia in Havana. My grandparents had four boys. My Dad was first in 1932 and his three brothers followed closely behind, four Canadian boys born and raised before the Castro take-over in 1959. I was born in 1953 so I can slightly recall a huge swimming pool and the beach. I also remember sleeping with a mosquito net over my bed and there was no air conditioning.   My great grandparents had immigrated to Cuba years earlier from Spain. Their last name was Rojas so I've never forgotten my spanish roots. Years after my Canadian family members had all moved back home to Canada, my grandmother would also  tell me what a beautiful country Cuba was.  With Castro perhaps gone, maybe that beautiful country will be born again. My greatgrand parents lived and died in Havana and I've always wondered what it would be like to see their house again. Maybe that will become reality for thousands of Cuban-Americans now that Castro is one step closer to being gone but never forgotten.