When I decided to embark on this storytelling exercise, I didn’t anticipate how challenging it would be to extract memories of my early years from my mother and father. However, when it came to recalling my second year of life—when my toddler tantrum phase began—it wasn’t as difficult as I expected. With just a simple prompt, my mother quickly remembered a couple of my toddler adventures that earned me a reputation lasting more than 20 years.

In case my parents’ memories failed them (which happens often!), my father ensured there was proof of my toddler tantrum phase, as you can see in the picture above. Apparently, this phase lasted quite some time, with the “terrible twos” merging into the “crazy threes.” Looking at this picture again triggered my own memories, and I couldn’t possibly keep them from you now that I’m committed to recording my life story.

By the time I turned 2 in May 1979, my toddler tantrum phase was already in full swing, coinciding with the deterioration of my parents’ marriage after six years. You might think it couldn’t have been that bad since I was so young, but that wasn’t the case. Talking to my dad about this period in my life—while my own toddler is also two—makes me marvel at the similarities. It’s amazing how genes work, as I can almost see myself at age 2 through him.

Like my son, I was a chatterbox (no surprise there), and from the few things my father remembers, I’ve concluded that my little one’s inquisitive nature, his constant discoveries, big smile, and sense of humor are traits I had when I was 2. Not to mention that my son’s own toddler tantrum phase has me on my toes; his mood swings and temper tantrums have also become legendary.

It has proven very difficult to gather more details about what I was like at 2 years old, but even though my father’s memory isn’t the best, I’m enjoying the process of scraping together whatever comes to his mind by looking at old pictures and giving him prompts.

A Bit of History from 1979 in the Dominican Republic

While my mother dealt with my toddler tantrum phase and my older sister settled into school, life continued for adults as usual. In my opinion, and based on what I’ve heard over the years, three main events marked the year 1979 in the Dominican Republic:

The year began with a significant event for Catholics, who make up a large segment of the Dominican population, when Pope John Paul II visited the Dominican Republic for the first time in January 1979. He visited the country two more times during his papacy.

Antonio Guzmán, who had won the election the previous year after Joaquín Balaguer’s notorious 12-year rule, was in his second year of presidency with very high approval ratings. He served only one term and didn’t seek reelection, despite being eligible. Sadly, he committed suicide on July 4, 1982, while still in office. Antonio Guzmán is regarded as one of the best presidents the Dominican Republic has ever had.

On August 31, 1979, Hurricane David made landfall in the Dominican Republic through the southern towns of San Cristóbal and Haina, near Santo Domingo. The Category 5 hurricane, with winds reaching speeds of up to 240 kilometers per hour, was one of the strongest and most devastating storms the Dominican Republic had seen since 1930.