Sometimes the light bulb comes on long after the lesson has been taught. For many of us who are seniors now, we finally have some downtime. The quiet brain is allowing for reflection!
We are aged students despite going back to a real classroom. The classrooms for me are remembering many moments I had while living in Mexico from age 27 to 39. It was a rich life, full of experiences and interactions with incredibly special people. I see now, in those recollections, there are so many lessons. So, I would like to share some of them, somehow.
Here I am at 62 and the world is a different place. I left Mexico as a Canadian expat, settling in the US only to have a terrible case of culture shock and seasonal affective disorder (no sun like all those past years). It took some adjusting. I didn't seem to have much time for reflecting then. I, so happily, have come full circle in my mind and body, and am delightedly back home in Mexico. Bravo!
Now, somewhat bittersweet for me, it is a different Mexico all these years later. Of course! I have new adjustments I hadn't really expected, but days are tranquil and I am doing a lot of comparison to the OLD Mexico and the NEW Mexico. I find myself seeing some aspects of culture that didn't go away and realizing some have. All a mix of good and bad if I judge them.
A lot of Americans and Canadians are making their homes around me. I am seeing and hearing many of them voice their emotions when I'm out gloriously soaking up my permanent surroundings. I'm very concerned by what I see and hear. It's become disconcerting for me. I witness too many situations of verbal abuse of the locals by the expat community. I see bullying and rudeness toward the people that have opened their doors to us. Something is wrong! For people who are making application to become full time residents of this unique and socialist country, the behavior is something I never saw when I lived here before. I'm seriously exploring the reasons for this.
This blog will be my effort to try and help concerned and perplexed expats find their way around, but not by using a map or 360 degree photos on Facebook. I will hopefully paint a picture of the past and enlighten all those interested in the "why" or "why not" of life south of their old home.
By taking in my blog, I'm trying to create that "aha" moment for my readers- at least from time to time. I hope folks will learn about little nuances of the culture and community we live in and how it affects their daily lives. Perhaps in time their experiences out there in the community will trend toward a different light cast onto them - with shades of green, white and red! Come journey with me and my reflections as I sew the past to the present for those new to life in Mexico. My personal goal is to weave the foreigners into the fabric of Mexican life. My wish is to create new volunteers with a zealousness to keep the community "Mexican" and embrace it!
By taking in my blog, I'm trying to create that "aha" moment for my readers- at least from time to time. I hope folks will learn about little nuances of the culture and community we live in and how it affects their daily lives. Perhaps in time their experiences out there in the community will trend toward a different light cast onto them - with shades of green, white and red! Come journey with me and my reflections as I sew the past to the present for those new to life in Mexico. My personal goal is to weave the foreigners into the fabric of Mexican life. My wish is to create new volunteers with a zealousness to keep the community "Mexican" and embrace it!
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