In “A Perfect Hotspot,” Virgil Suarez tells the story of a young man named Tonio that is forced to work with his father during his summer selling ice cream. This story really connected with me in the sense that the older someone gets the greater the responsibility they have. Suarez incorporates this by Tonio’s father trying to teach him more responsibility by making him spend his summer working in the ice cream truck.
In the story Tonio states, “This idea of selling ice cream during the summer is ridiculous, pointless. I’d much rather be close to the water. ” He just wants to enjoy his summer and be in the water but instead he is stuck working in an ice cream truck with his father. It’s clear that this is the last way Tonio wants to spend his summertime but his father feels that it is important that he learn. Suarez gives the reader a chance to form their own opinion about the father being harsh or just wanting the best for his son.
The father is showing his emotions through ‘tough love,’ to Tonio. After graduating high school I was faced with a similar situation, I wanted to enjoy my summer at the beach surfing and being in the sun. My father on the other hand, had a different plan for me. I was forced to get a job and take summer classes. Like Tonio I was disappointed that I wasn’t able to just relax and enjoy my sweet summer time. At the time I did not see his perspective and acted immaturely, arguing and fighting.
Now that I look back I realize that he was just trying to keep me on track and teach me responsibility and independence. My father was trying to show the same ‘tough love,’ that Tonio’s father was showing him. In the end of the story the father gives Tonio a wry smile and says, “Dreamers like you, learn the hard way. ” He is trying to tell Tonio that if you can’t keep your head in the clouds forever. The father isn’t trying to tell Tonio that he shouldn’t have dreams, but rather instilling in Tonio that he has to work for a living.
I can relate to this statement because my father once told me that things in life don’t always just fall into place. To sum everything up from reading this story you can tell that Tonio’s father really does care about him. He just wants the best for his son and wants to help teach Tonio responsibility and become the best person that he can be. He is teaching him that there is a time for dreaming and a time to take responsibility and work, the same way my father taught me.
