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International Inspiration

I'm reading the most fabulous book I've flipped through in a while. It's called "On Mexico Time"--the true story (told in essays) of a Los Angeles writer and his painter wife who take a spur of the moment vacation to San Miguel in central Mexico. They fall in love with the place, return to LA to sell their home, and take up residence in the Mexican town. I must take a moment to sigh.

I've discovered that there are two kinds of people in this world: those who've been to Mexico and those who haven't. Just listen to them talk about Mexico, and you'll know who's been there and who thinks they know enough from this side of the border. Last night, I was telling my aunt about the book, and her immediate response was, "I have no desire to go to Mexico, and I don't understand why anyone does." This afternoon, I was sharing the book with a co-worker. She stopped me mid-description and asked, "They move there, don't they?" I nodded, and she responded, "Aren't you jealous?"

We talked for an hour of the wonders of Mexico. The people are so friendly. They will sit and chat and just enjoy the presence of another human. It's the only place I've ever been where I didn't feel like a nuisance, worried about what they were thinking of me. They welcomed my broken Spanish, helped me with pronunciations, and smiled a smile that I can only imagine comes straight from the hand of God because it is genuine and accepting. Time stands still there. I don't believe deadlines exist there. It's an interesting merger of ancient cultures, a mystical religion, and some modern conveniences. But what stands out the most is that these people understand what matters most--PEOPLE.

Now I'm inspired to write some essays chronicling my adventures in Mexico. I started this when I first returned last June, so I will probably cheat and post some of my poetry. This is kind of exciting--almost like being a Beat writer (who were also fond of Mexico). Hmm...I just love inspiration!

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