Minor Genre: Proverb 

Text: 

• Spanish: Vísteme despacio que tengo prisa 
• Transliteration: Dress me slowly because I’m in a hurry
• Free Translation: Dress me slowly, I’m in a hurry 

Context: My informant told me she follows this proverb daily. What it means to her is that in your day-to-day life, human beings are typically in a rush to get many things done, and when doing so, they often make mistakes and need to start the task over. Because of this, it’s better to take the time to do something correctly rather than rush it and have to start over, hence wasting more time. She mentioned being very fast-paced, so she remembers this proverb when she needs to pace herself and be more cautious with her actions to improve the result. My informant heard this piece from her mother during her childhood in Cuba. Her mother constantly told her this because she was a fast-paced child who wanted things done “ayer” or yesterday. She also mentioned that during her adulthood (also in Cuba), it was a very common proverb in her family and friendship circle. My informant mentioned using this proverb often with her granddaughters when they were growing up. She said that her granddaughters used to rush through their homework, and they would not retain the information or do it incorrectly. She would reply with “vísteme despacio que tengo prisa” to remind them that even if it takes more time, it’s better to do things intentionally. She also mentioned that this applies to any time you need to do something — it’s better to do it right so you don’t have to repeat it. She also mentioned that this is like another proverb she knows “lo barato sale caro” or cheap things turn out expensive in the end. 

Analysis: Looking at this proverb, we can see that it contains generational knowledge without claiming personal responsibility. It lets people know that taking the time and effort to do something right the first time will save you time in the long run. Speaking to my informant and learning that this was something her mother used to say to her and later she said to her granddaughters shows that it was traditionally engraved in her customs and vocabulary. This makes her an active bearer because she identifies with traditional proverbs by engaging with her family and community. She is passing on that knowledge to the future generations. She mentioned that it was natural to say it, and that is a common theme amongst proverbs. They are repeated almost identically every single time and become engraved in social culture. In this case, the group that can identify with this proverb is any Spanish speaker, although it may be more relevant in countries where the people are known to be fast-paced. For example, the community had to be fast-paced in Cuba, where my informant is from. They never knew when common inconveniences could happen—for example, having to shower quickly because they did not know when the water would be shut off in the building. This proverb responds to particular social circumstances and serves as good life advice.