Joe,
I just read your article The Simulacran Republic about the great American Hologram, and I must tell you, as you must hear often, you took the words right out of my mouth! Thank you so much for so clearly articulating what I've been screaming about for so long! At least now I don't feel I need to reserve a space at the mental institution, at least not yet anyway.
I read in your web site that you are currently in Jalisco, Mexico. What a wonderful place to be! I grew up in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, and although we moved to the US when I was 18, I still hold Mexico close to my heart and soul, and still see it as 'my country'. Even though I was born here in the US by an Irish-American mother and a Mexican father, after so many years, I still feel like a foreigner here in the US. Not much seems to make sense, and as I grow older (or, more mature) things seem to make less sense to me. What is more difficult is to see so many people who just can't see beyond the hologram and are content with how things are.
Tomorrow I am going to go and buy your book Deer Hunting with Jesus. I've heard great things about it.
Growing up in Mexico has helped me see that there is hope for humanity if only we went back to more simple ways, learned to be satisfied with what we have rather than wanting more and more until we explode.
My father was a surgeon who did his medical internship and residency in the US, and had the choice to stay here and open his practice (and make gobs of money on sick people). However, even back then he realized that staying here would mean giving up his dream of actually helping people, and would have to replace it with greed and selfishness. He chose to stay with his dream and when I was just 3 months old, we moved to Mexico. We did fine financially, although I can't say we were ever rich, yet that was not important. We had what we needed, never went to bed hungry and were happy. My father was able to flourish in his career while at the same time keeping with his commitment to help even those who couldn't afford it. I remember so many times he would come home from work with goats, chickens, bags full of vegetables, etc. that his poorer patients gave him in lieu of monetary payment. I thought that was great! -- especially since those cute farm animals became my temporary pets until they were taken to our farm.
For a long time after arriving here (after my father died and my mother needed to be with her family), I could not figure out what was it about the people in the US that were so very different from the people I knew in Mexico. Then one day it hit me. In Mexico, most people are not diseased with greed. Most people are happy and grateful with what they have, it might not be much, but it's what they have. There is a joie de vivre in their hearts that does not exist here in the US.
The negative things I saw there were as a result of the influence of the US on their lives. "Things", American "things" were marketed with fervor, however, these American "things" were also much more expensive than Mexican "things". Many wanted American things because of the image they portrayed, if you wear or buy American you will look and feel better -- like an American. Little did they know what that really meant. In many instances, money began to matter more because more and more American propaganda and products kept flooding the streets of Mexico. My sister got the American bug and fought constantly with my parents because she wanted everything American. (Funny thing in that since we've lived in her dream country -- the US -- she has learned the ugly of America and now lives as far removed from mainstream America as she can get, and covets products made in Mexico).
Not only were the American "things" flooding the market and making people poorer, but the unhealthy eating habits of America also began to flood Mexico. American fast food has also been a huge detriment to Mexico in so many ways. People spend more money on food, they are much less healthy, and there are more overweight people than ever before.
Yay to American influence!!
Most people in Mexico are highly religious but in a sense very different from religious people here in the US. God is part of their being, like their skin, and they dodn't have to wear their religion on their sleeves or use their religious beliefs to judge or belittle anybody. Religion here means so many different things that rarely resemble what I was taught. Religion here is so tied into politics, greed, hate, discrimitation, etc., that I sometimes feel I am living in the Twilight Zone.
Mexican culture is wonderful and I dream to one day return to my Mexico to live the rest of my days. And I pray American influence has not ruined everything good and beautiful in that magical country.
Well, enjoy your stay there and eat lots of tacos and pozole!
Sorry I went on and on, but the mention of somebody staying in Mexico just does that to me!
In Peace,
Rebeca
