Reni Botega, retired, from Rio Grande do Sul, 69 years old, resident of Asa Sul, 2 children.
Reni, is one of those presences that already make up a scene in the Park. On weekends, anyone who passes by on the track between Parking Lot 10 and the artificial lake may notice a lady sitting, crocheting calmly, always with a captivating smile on her face and the most beautiful baby shoes next to her.
It’s hard not to stop there at least once to admire the cute things that Reni does and displays.
The other day I stopped, sat down and talked to her for a while.
Reni has lived in Brasília for 40 years and says that, despite really liking Rio Grande do Sul, her homeland, she doesn’t go back there anymore, because she loves Brasília, a city that for her “is all good”.
She graduated in Pedagogy, but did not practice the profession because she came to the capital Candanga afterwards. Here she had two children and spent a long time following their growth and school life. After her children grew up, she, now 40 years old, was able to return to work outside the home. She was an advisor at the Federal Chamber and then spent 17 years at the Ministry of Agriculture, where she retired.
She started crocheting as a teenager and made her entire wedding trousseau. She learned how to make baby shoes with her sister-in-law and has never stopped because it is an activity that she “loves with a passion”. Talking to Reni was a special moment, full of smiles, laughter and sparkle in her eyes, her high spirits are contagious.
Questions for Reni:
Q- Do you remember when you came to Parque da Cidade for the first time?
A- I remember, there was that wave pool and I took my parents to see it, my girl was a baby, but one of my first contacts with the Park was the Wave Pool.
Q- Have you been going to the Park since then?
A- I often walked, I always walked. Then I retired and made baby shoes. Then Mr. Valter, from the magazine stand there, told me to bring the shoes here. I didn’t want to come because I was embarrassed, but he encouraged me and now on Saturdays and Sundays I have the habit of coming. I think it’s wonderful.
Q- Do you spend the whole day here?
A- No, I arrive at around 9:30 and I leave around one o’clock in the afternoon.
Q- And during your time sitting here, what do you observe and catch your attention?
A- What I like most here is the smile of the people who pass by and greet me, I love saying hello too, I think it gives an exchange, a good energy, it’s all so cool. Since we don’t have a beach, this looks like a dry beach, despite having the lake in front. The people here… it’s different, it’s de-stressing. It’s a wonderful thing to be here interacting with people, it’s really good.
Q- Is it as if you were on a boardwalk?
R- Think of something good! That’s more or less it.
Q- What would you say to those who don’t know the Park?
A- Look, I’m sure a lot of people don’t know the Park. Because we, Brazilians, are not used to valuing our things. But when we travel and see how much people enjoy greenery. Magnificent green like this… but I’m sure many people don’t even come to the Park. And once you start coming, I believe you never stop coming here. Because it’s a welcoming place, there’s lots of greenery, lots of happy people. Ah, the Park is therapy!
Q- You, like many women, stopped working when you had children and returned after they grew up, did you miss it?
A- I think that all of us women suffer a lot from having to leave our children with other people. I’m very grateful for having been able to accompany my boys at school, but there comes a time when you see, from society itself, that you can’t just stay at home, you have to have a different head. I had to learn how to use a computer, which I didn’t know, everything is a learning process. And leaving the house is also very good, getting out of this home routine. Now I’m retired, I just don’t go back to work, because I also deserve to rest, but there are times when I want to go back. My children tell me to stop doing this, but there are times when I want to work more, I just don’t go back because of the comfort, I’m too complacent.
Q- And about the shoes, do you sell a lot here?
A- No, it doesn’t sell much here. People take my contact and when they want it, they call me, ask if I’ll be at the Park or pick me up at home, this is more like a showcase. I sell 1 or 2 on a weekend and it’s great.
Q- Do you keep making shoes here?
A- I keep doing it, my daughter is walking, I have a back problem, I can’t walk, so I stay still and combine business with pleasure.
Q- And what guides you in life?
A- Do good, no matter who it is for. Because I think life is an exchange. I’m Catholic, I think it’s beautiful who studies more about religion, I respect everyone, but I believe that when we want something, it’s normal to get something back. People who are very sullen, bitter, rarely get empathy in return. I think I was born a bit happy, because I feel that when I look and someone smiles I can give that person a better smile and my philosophy is this: it’s by giving good things that we end up receiving good things too. I’m not going to say that there aren’t bad things in life, there are, but they pass, and when the good comes, the good gets even better.
Q- Do you consider yourself a high-spirited, positive person?
R- Oh, I think I am (laughs)
Q- Do you have any dreams, something you would like to achieve?
R- Honestly? I just don’t want to get sick, but dreams? My children fulfill me, they take me traveling and on outings, I do what I like. What I really want is to be healthy. I’ve been through some troubles, so I just want to be healthy.
Q- What is your message to people?
A- My wish was that people were a little more educated, a little would improve our planet. Why leave a piece of paper on the floor? It’s such a little care and look how clean everything is. We have a very cruel culture when it comes to cleaning. I would like people to be clean, not throw trash on the ground or out of the car, take better care of trash and the environment. Everything would be more beautiful and, certainly, there wouldn’t be these catastrophes that we see.
