Living History: A centenarian in San Miguel de Allende

Published December 17, 2021

by Natalie Taylor

What would you say to someone born the year that WWI came to an end, the year the Spanish flu swept across the world? A time before sound movies, television, commercial aviation, or even something as simple as sliced bread? I had the opportunity to visit Diana Dominguez who just celebrated her 103rd birthday. Diana was born on November 5, 1918 in Merida, the youngest of six children. She never went beyond elementary school and worked at menial jobs her entire life, just as her parents had. Her older brothers moved to Mexico City because of better employment opportunities and she eventually followed them.

Diana now lives in ALMA—a home for the elderly who have no means, run by a non-profit organization. My visits to nursing homes in the US have never been positive. What always struck me in those homes for the elderly were the smells—the stifling air of a poorly ventilated facility, the faint smells of old food, and the stench of urine. I braced myself for the same. But at ALMA, the moment the door opened and I walked in, I was greeted by open spaces, high ceilings, corridors leading toward gardens, and no unwelcome scents of any sort. A few residents sat watching a large television set on the wall; behind it was a courtyard with trees and flowers. I was led to a portico where Diana sat in a wheelchair in quiet conversation with a man sitting at her side. His name was Gerardo, her loyal friend. 

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