Monika’s Weekend Turns Up With Raúl Di Blasio & A Busted Ankle

This is the story of how Monika met the world-famous pianist Raúl Di Blasio and ended the night with a busted ankle.

Little did I know that my weekend would consist of hanging out with world-renowned pianist Raúl Di Blasio and end up with a busted ankle at the end of the night.

Let me explain.

Last week I received a call asking if I would be available to emcee Cathedral High School's graduation party. I didn't hesitate as it's been over a year since I've hosted any event due to the pandemic. So thrilled at the opportunity, I said yes!

My duties were simple; all I had to do was be myself and introduce every graduate escorted by their respective mothers to the dance floor for the traditional mother-son dance. Imagine my surprise as I skimmed my script and discovered I was introducing the internationally known Argentinian composer and pianist Raúl Di Blasio as the evening's surprise special guest. Legit thought my script had a typo.

As I introduced Mr. Di Blasio, gasps quickly followed by cheers and awe by his presence. He went on to talk about the blessing of having the support of a mother and then went on to perform Corazón de Niño.

After his performance, Raúl Di Blasio graciously invited every single person to take a picture with him, and I took the opportunity to chill backstage, which was behind one of the two big screens set up on each side of the stage and Di Blasio's piano.

Since everyone literally got in line, I decided to hang out with the guys from the food trucks and grab a mango lemonade from Craze, my fav.

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As I took two steps, my foot got caught in one of the dips in the grassy field, and gravity did the rest. Sprawled out on the floor, I did what any other embarrassed soul does in such a case and immediately looked around, but no one saw me because everyone had their eyes on Di Blasio. So I sat there in the grass laughing at myself until I figured out a way to get back up.

I managed to hobble my way over to the food truck area where the amazing staff of The Manor at Ten Eleven and the Herrera Group (hosts of the event), along with the food truck guys, took extra care to make me as comfortable as possible.

Regardless of my injury, I was able to push through the rest of the evening and even got to hang out with Raúl Di Blasio chatting about music and life in El Paso.

As you may have guessed, my first weekend out was surprising and memorable. While I was beyond honored to have been part of the celebration and may have busted my ankle in the process, the night belonged to the young men at Cathedral High School who persevered after a tumultuous year of uncertainty. Congratulations Class of 2021 - Viva La Cate!