Among car guys, the popular belief is that ‘Mercedes’ is a German-oriented name and it’s association with high-end cars they build. Well, I hate to break the news to ya, ‘it’s not.’ However, that does explain everything about my walking partner, called Mercedes.
After this intro, that is where my story begins with ‘Mercedes-Benz from Chile.
As I do my usual walkabout through the local park, I have the pleasure of meeting many nice people along the way. Many walkers on these trails come from different parts of the world and from all walks of life. After the usual small talk with fellow health enthusiasts, I often find their life stories quite fascinating.
Take, for example, the other day I was walking through the Park. I met a person from Uganda looking for work in the area. Another time, I had a friendly yak-yak with a student from Zambia. We always exchange a few bullshit stories and then continue on our way.
But the most memorable of all encounters was a lady called ‘Mercedes.’ And that part of the trail story starts this way:
I was doing the two-step through Victoria Park on this fine sunny warm afternoon when a walker just slightly ahead of me called out to a runner who zoomed by like he was 20 years old, and given that some thought, he probably was.
“I used to run like that!” she yelled out.
A bit of a silly thing to say, really; however, I did notice she was walking at a snail’s pace that I’m all too familiar with lately. As we walked side by side, we found ourselves striking up a small conversation about life in general. But then I noticed a slight German accent in her tone.
I have to admit it brought back fond memories from years gone by and this accent was all too familiar to me in these parts. German was almost a second language back then, and I’ll go one step further, the forefathers of Kitchener were of German descent. But alas, times have changed, people move on, and today you don’t hear the familiar German dialect anymore.
However, back to the story of my walking partner called ‘Mercedes. She mentioned she was originally from Chile and usually goes back to her home country for the winter. She also commented that she much preferred the warmer weather to Canada’s harsh winter environment. As we talked and made our way around to the other side of the park, I mentioned this was my exit, and thanked her for the yak, “Hope we can continue our interesting bullshit story another day, however, this is where I have to depart.
Then, just before parting, ‘as we should have done earlier,’ we introduced ourselves. I told her my name and shook her hand as a goodbye gesture and here’s the kicker.
She said, My name is Mercedes, “like in Mercedes-Benz.”
I say to her, A beautiful German heritage name and a fine German-built automobile. Who would have thought? But that’s not the end of the story;
Mercedes is not a German name; it’s Spanish.
Although this interesting walker did admit to the German accent, however, ”did you know’‘ the name ‘Mercedes’ comes from the Spanish feminine name Mercedes, meaning “mercy” or “grace,” a title for the Virgin Mary, and it was popularized in the automotive world when Emil Jellinek, a Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft businessman and racer, used it as his racing pseudonym and later named his daughter Mercedes.
The Daimler company then trademarked the name in 1902 for their vehicles, eventually becoming the renowned “Mercedes-Benz.” Bla, Bla Bla!
**** Who would have thought? ****
Conclusion to My Walkabout Story
During my walkabout through these awesome well well-groomed trails and parks, you’ll often find me taken fun photos and sharing them online for all to enjoy. But the best part is, meeting many nice folks and hearing their fascinating stories of their home countries. Far different from what you hear in the news.
I must also add, before winding down my story of Mercedes, that many newcomers I talk to along the trail have experienced hardships in the country they were from. That part of the tale the average person only reads about. That is something I find both sad and, at the same time, deeply interesting.
Shortly after, Mercedes left for Chile to escape Canada’s upcoming winter. I never saw her again and only assumed she stayed.
**** And so ends the story of Mercedes-Benz from Chile. ****
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