Blog Post 6: Carmen Lomas Garza

My favorite image from the Carmen Lomas Garza readings steamed from the chapter titled "A Tejana on the West Coast" starting on page 29. The image that I chose as my favorite is on page 54 and it is titled Earache Treatment. This is figure 37 of that page and it is my favorite because it reminds me of this crazy earache treatment my mother strongly believes cures the pain from ear infections. When I was younger, I was always swimming. We had a pool in our backyard that every summer my cousins and I enjoyed very much, but it never failed that I would end up getting an ear infection. According to my doctor at the time, my ear did not like the chemicals that we poured into the pool the help maintain it clean. The doctor would prescribe me medicine, but it did not help with the pain that well. My mom would go outside and pick a leaf from a branch. I am not sure what type of tree branch it was from but the leaf had to be those soft velvet ones. Hopefully you all know which type of leaf I am talking about. She would heat it on the stove for about 20 seconds and once it was warm she would place it in my ear. This would honestly sooth the pain, but I do not believe it was the reason as to what cured the earache. This oil on canvas reminds me of how it would feel when my mother would heat up the leaf too much. It literally felt as if she was placing fire into my ear. Although in this picture the woman is placing a newspaper that is lit with fire into the man's ear, this was my favorite picture because I could relate to the feeling the man is probably having in this situation.