Monday, November 26, 2007

Mexico On My Mind

Everyone knows the game plan. We plan on spending 3 months of the winter in Mexico this year.

My kids are starting to be less surprised at my crazy adventures; my grandkids think I’m pretty cool and my husband is always tolerant (Thank God!!) and he may be just a little crazy too, because he always seems to go along with most of my crazy ideas.

I love Mexico and travel there as often as I can. So when people ask me “Why Mexico?”, I am never sure what to say. The “snowbirds” from the northeast generally go to Florida for the winter, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone ask them “Why Florida?”

I know that the ones that have to ask “Why Mexico?“ only know the border towns like Tijuana and Nogales or they are too familiar with resorts like the concrete jungle of Cancun and other resort areas; where the only Mexicans that they come in contact with are the maids that clean their rooms or those serving their food.
It’s another Mexico that I love so much. The wonderful colonial cities with their wide boulevards, central plazas and huge churches, the little fishing villages with their gravel streets and deserted beaches, the beautiful countryside, the majestic mountains.

But mostly the reason I keep going back is the Mexican people. They are so warm and friendly and family orientated. It’s a common every day sight to see 3 or sometimes 4 generations of a family strolling together or sitting together; just being together and enjoying each other’s company. They are a happy people, always smiling and laughing. And once you get to know them, you have a friend for life. Their loving ways and simplistic lifestyle is something that has been lost in America.

Even though I live in a small town in the country, the America that I grew up in is gone. It feels shameful to feel it and even more so to say it, but today, in America, we live a shallow life of materialism and junk food. We’ve lost sight of thinking for ourselves; our knowledge, our information and how we see world is limited to 15 second bytes on the nightly news. We are a warrior nation who has become disconnected with the simple value of just how precious life is. I have to wonder, where are we going from here? Have we lost our way? Will we survive…find our way back to some semblance of values? I hope so.

So when I am asked “Why Mexico?” , I just smile, shrug my shoulders, and say “Why not?”… all the while I’m dreaming of sitting in a tree lined plaza, listening to Mariachi music and watching the simple lifestyle of the Mexican people play itself out.
Adios
Gypsy Girl

4 comments:

Babs said...

Well, I for one, can hardly wait for you to get here! Great post!
Babs
PS my phone # in San Miguel is 1528375........

gartenfische said...

This is beautiful. I would love to visit the Mexico you are talking about.

And, sadly, I agree with your take on our situation here. You are right--we have become a shallow nation.

Brenda Maas said...

Was going to ask where you are going in Mexico; but see that you must be going to San Miguel. Enjoy your stay. We moved to Mexico permanently and love it.

William said...

What locales in Mexico would you recommend for the experiences which you have described?

William

ps: Boston isn't a small town in the country, so I'm guessing your outside the 128 or 495 belt?