Ask Miss Universe

I don't normally turn to beauty queens for information about world events, but in this case, Jimena Navarrete, Miss Mexico and now Miss Universe, knows what she's talking about when she tells everyone that "Mexico isn't as bad as they make it out to be."  The news that Miss Mexico won the title of Miss Universe opened, for a change,  a space in the US media for positive comments about Mexico, and allowed the beautiful young woman from Guadalajara to become a spokesperson for her country.  People who don't want to be bothered with complex news analysis or socio-political commentary by specialists in Mexican affairs may be willing to listen to what she has to say, even if it's via Twitter or Facebook or her appearance on popular tv shows.

Yesterday was a typical Sunday in Cuernavaca, and I had a chance to reflect on Miss Universe's comments as I strolled around town.  As in most parts of Mexico, Sunday is the day when people go out with their families.  Everyone who can afford it goes out to breakfast or lunch at a favorite restaurant with the kids, the grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other members of the extended family.  Whoever lives within walking or driving distance gets together to share news, tell jokes, gossip, discuss the football game, or whatever else comes into their minds.  Most Mexicans attend church services of some kind on Sundays, and they dress up a bit more than usual to show that it's a special day.  Even if they don't have money to spare, they can spend time sitting in the zócalo, the main square, where there are free cultural events, usually music and dance, competing with the mariachis for hire, the music coming from the sidewalk cafes, the sound of children's laughter and squeals of delight as they chase each other around the square, the sound of church bells, and an occasional call from a vendor offering ice cream, corn on the cob, homemade candies, or other treats for sale.  Mexico is a noisy place, but it's the kind of noise that speaks about daily life in a place where people enjoy socializing and being with other people.  No one has to feel lonely in Mexico, because no matter who you are or where you come from, you can sit on a bench in the town square and feel that you're part of a group of people who are enjoying a nice day outdoors.  You're surrounded by life, and everyone seems to be having a good time.

The streets are crowded with people window shopping or just strolling around.  The museums are open and most are free on Sundays to the public, so anyone with an interest can duck inside the Palacio de Cortés or the Borda Gardens and enjoy the exhibits.  There are street vendors selling everything from peanuts to batteries for your watch, and the newspaper stands do a lively business, with many people stopping to look at magazines, read the headlines in the newspaper, or just chat with the owners of the stand, as a way to pass the time.  People here have a sense of belonging to a place and being part of a community.  They greet neighbors and friends in the street with a warm hug or a handshake.  No one is too busy to stop and say hello to someone they know.

Contrary to the image that Hollywood has conveyed about Mexico, most Mexicans are extremely hard working people, they work six days a week, long hours, and most of the time they run around at a frantic pace taking care of business.  On Sunday, things slow down.  People can take time to sit and relax, to stroll at a leisurely pace, to stop for coffee and read the paper, or browse in a bookstore.  Sunday is a day to take it easy.  In the afternoon, you can always find an old Pedro Infante or Cantínflas movie on tv.  Even though I've seen them all a dozen times, I don't get tired of watching them. They remind me more than anything else that it's Sunday in Mexico, and this is something special for me, something I won't have when I go back to work in Tacoma, Washington.  The family is sacred in Mexico. Sunday is the day when you make time for the family, when you do things together, and you're grateful that you have people around you who love you.  If you aren't lucky enough to have your own family nearby, chances are good that someone in the community will "adopt" you, and you can become an extra aunt, uncle or cousin who gets included in family outings.  You won't be left alone, unless you really want to be.  People bond together here, and feel compassion for each other.

Why don't these peaceful tranquil images of Mexico ever make it into the popular imagination of people in the US?  When they think about Mexico, why don't they think of children running and laughing in the park, or grandmothers dressed up in pretty dresses with every hair perfectly in place?  I'm not talking about the social elite, but average, "ordinary" Mexicans who continue to enjoy life to the fullest, despite all the problems facing them as individuals and as a nation.  Mexicans aren't ignorant of what's happening around them, but they choose not to dwell on the negative, especially when it's something that they can't control.  Why give up a Sunday in the zócalo because in some other place there was an act of violence that had nothing to do with them?  This seems to me like a sensible approach to life.  Why give into a culture of fear and stay home behind closed doors, just in case something bad might happen?  Bad things can happen anywhere, at anytime, but chances are good you'll make it through the day just fine.  Why not enjoy life, then?

Like Miss Universe says, Mexico isn't as bad as people in the US think.   In fact, there are a lot of very good things about Mexico that are never mentioned in the foreign press.  Maybe that's because sensational news guarantees readers/ viewers/ listeners.  Who wants to hear about ordinary life?  Still, when people ask me why I keep coming back to Mexico year after year, what draws me to a place they think of as dangerous and violent, I can only think about the families I see in the Zócalo on Sundays, and the noises they make, the sound of laughter, of music, of conversation.  These sounds remind me that life is what we make it, and being happy is often just a matter of choice.