What I am "into" is laughter, smiles, out of this world carnitas, a place where children still play unsupervised in public parks. Men polishing a careworn prized relic of a car while singing at the top of their lungs, where you wish a perfect stranger "Happy New Year!" on a sidewalk and the next thing you know you're feasting on mole con pavo at his dinner table. Little girls hammering at the front door the day after you move in shouting "Hurry Hurry! You're late for the wedding!" Offering a tiny indian lady five times what her shrivelled onions are worth on her spread out kerchief at an open market and her refusal because it's early and there's far too much gossiping to be done. Shop keepers yelling across the street "Oye the ranchero came today and now there is plenty of Chorizo you love". Waking up to the sunrise rooster and dog choir. The radio playing a song about someone finding a drunk coyboy sitting in a tinaca (horse trough) watering his machete and sharpening his horse.
Or the sadness of a man trying to explain to a 14, 9, and 5 year old that there won't be any gifts again this year on Dia de Los Tres Reyes because of all the troubles and the Americans did not come again this year. This is not fiction this is the house of my son-in-law. Grandpa is coming to the rescue late is better than not at all. Gifts are being sent via ESTAFETA delivery. And the gifts are whoppers.
Such wonderful poeple do not deserve to be punished by self serving alarmists who spin monster stories and try their damndest to scare everyone away. It hurts. Look a child in the eye and tell them why you screwed up their Christmas.
