We were out of bed at 6 a.m. This was our first Independencia in Mexico—Fourth of July, South of the Border. The morning was overcast so it wasn't too hot. Mee, Lola, Bella and I were headed to San Fransisco {San Pauncho} to walk in the Village Parade. We ate some killer tamales that Lupita's mom made (Lupita is the 16-year-old who takes care of Lola during the weekdays so Mee and I can work a bit), drank a shot of local coffee and off we went.
We were the first family from Bella's Escuela del Mundo to make it to the starting point.Our good friend Gina was also along to support her Mexico's Independence Celebration. By 9:30 the crowd had arrived and we were off to the plaza in the center of the pueblo.
Bella was so proud to be a part of this celebration. I think she must have absorbed some of my love for Mexico. Lola of course was not to be out done so she squeezed into Bella's school group, all two feet of her, and marched along beside Bella toward the sea.
As we walked, the sidewalks and empty lots were filled with the smiling faces of the people of San Pauncho. This was Independence Day with waving flags and food on the streets. The Mexican people are very connected to the dream of Independence. They are proud and still dress with that pride. Mexico has a living connection to the freedom that Independence Day stands for. “VIVA MEXICO, VIVA MEXICO.....”
At the end of the line we stood around the plaza while the kids from the other two schools in San Pauncho recited Patriotic messages and honored their cultural hero's. With the last “Viva Mexico” the group broke into a great street party eating Tacos and Cerviche, drinking Jamaica water and Horchata. While all this was going on the best dressed Queen was chosen from all the kids and she was great, a true Mexican Princessa.
There's a simplicity to life here that I seem to remember from when I was a kid, before I had so many expectations and opinions of what and how everything was "supposed " to be. Everything that happens is not a big production with all the official stuff so thick it overwhelms the fun and simple celebration.
Watching the news the last few days I wonder if the USA isn't headed back to a more simple, genuine life style than what we've aspired to in the last 30 years. It's easy to see where so much faith invested in money, greed and personal wealth as a God, has hit the wall. So the house comes down, like all the kings horses and all the kings men. Can the yahoos in D.C. put it all back together again? I hope not.
I lived a lie for a number of years. Of course at the time I had no idea that's what I was doing, and it was. After the humility and reality of dealing with my delusions and misdirected loyalties, I know today that it took a lot of misery to get me to step back and let go of trying to hold it all together.
I hear President Bush say the economy is still strong, What the fuck is the matter with him? Could he possibly be that stupid? Or is he just such a self absorbed liar that he is incapable of seeing the truth all around him. I say these things not as a finger pointer but as one who has been there myself. Thank God I wasn't President of The United States at that time.
So what do we do now America? Can we get simple and bring our attention back to family and community? Or are we so far gone that we won't let go of demanding that what we think we want we deserve, regardless of how not it's going to happen.
I've watched a lot of addicts not be able to just stop it and let go and most of them are dead now...I think a lot of them never realized that they had a choice, not really. They were just so wired to run on their automatic pilot that no amount of sirens and lights or pain and suffering could get their attention for long.
Where we're at with all this, time will tell, cuse the times they are a changin'.....Vaya con Dios...Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment