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Centavo’s Two Cents
Hell No, I Won’t Go!
Before the Parade Passes By
by La Huerita
by Penny Nask Who doesn’t love a parade? In America we are festooned with them during every season and for every reason. Chairs are positioned in the streets for the best view. We can do this for hours because we must see every opulent float or colossal helium filled balloon of our beloved animated characters. It has been my fortune to see many parades across the U.S. . . . most of which were celebrating some historical event in our cultural heritage. You say parade and I am there, in every weather condition. In Mexico parades are also a symbol of something significant . . . or they are at least a creation of potential tourism. For instance, if you are having a shrimp festival in town, it is usually accompanied by a parade. Recently I received a phone call to attend a parade given by the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes of Jardin De Ninos Tom Neveau school in San Felipe. They were celebrating and later reenacting the history of their Mexican Revolution. I would go, of course, but I had some reservations about time frames and location. This was because a year ago the Christmas Parade in San Felipe was never given a time or location. Just a date . . . Really! Proving this parade flexibility, one time Vanice and I were having a leisurely lunch on the Malecon and a parade of lovely children came by unexpectedly. They were in the costumes of their
Centavo aka Pamela Esther Nask (“Penny”) Co-owner of Simpatico Arts, she is a writer and an art historian, whose luck in these fields has given her an early retirement. She attributes “laughter” as the best possible stimulus for life. pennynask@yahoo.com favorite book character. We jumped out of our chairs, ran to the street and started applauding for all the spectators that weren’t there. The 2008 Christmas Parade? After driving around in our overly decorated VW convertible, looking for road barriers or policemen, we finally gave up looking for the parade and drove through the streets on our own. We were dressed as elves. Later we saw the bona fide San Felipe Christmas Light Parade in agonizing segments as it chose its own way throughout our miniature town. We never found out where or when it began or where it ended. Not to be deterred, we felt our presence at the Mexican Revolution Parade was essential. There was no one around our “staked out” curb position. After awhile this concerned us until our friend ran down the street and told us that the parade had been moved to another location. Why not? I guess there is a valuable lesson in this somewhere. It could be that we still don’t understand the ways of Mexico and their parades. As I am again disappointed in the number of spectators watching this delightful parade, my partner reminds me of the parents taking pictures, and the children who are learning about and respecting their history. “A parade, after all, is really about the people in them,” she says, hoping to rein in my lofty parade radar. It was easy to do this. After all, we were living in this miraculous town experiencing surprise at every turn! Who knows? There could be a parade tomorrow!
I remember calculating, back in my early teens, how old I would be when the year 2000 rolled around and thinking, horrified, “OMG, what can you DO when you’re that old?” Never mind how old that was. Suffice it to say that when the big 2000 finally rolled around I laughed at my youthful preconception. There was little I wanted to do that my “advanced” age prevented. Now here we are at 2010. These days I’m not laughing as hard but there’s still a giggle in the old girl. Though not all of my parts are working as well as they used to, I can still do pretty much anything I WANT to do and I’m assured by friends that nothing is actually beyond me. For instance, the folks at Kayak Rocky Point are adamant that I’ll never be too old to learn to kayak and have invited me to give it a try. I think that might be something I’d enjoy, at least in the calm waters of the estuaries, so one of these days I’m going to hold them to that. Maybe after I finish this sandwich and wake up from my siesta . . . Likewise, Mark at Rocky Point Boat Trips is always talking about the wonders of scuba diving in the waters of the upper Sea of Cortez, and lots of acquaintances have great fishing stories to share, so I’ve given some thought to diving and learning to fish. Ah, but I’m claustrophobic and get seasick, and fish flopping around on the end of a hook kind of freak me out. Guess I’ll pass, though my waving arm is still good to go for seeing them
Thank You ROTARY!
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The Monthly Guide to Pacific Baja & the Sea of Cortez
MEXICO LIVING – January 2010
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off on their adventures and I’m perfectly willing to help eat those fish once they’ve been properly cleaned. I can still do that. Exploring the great Pinacate Biosphere with CEDO? Love it. Can I do it in a golf cart? Golfing at any of the area’s swell golf courses? I don’t golf, but it’s pleasant to walk along with those who do—at least for nine holes or so, after which my feet automatically head for the nearest chair and refreshments. My feet have a mind of their own. I’m starting to see a pattern here. Some people are the physically active type, others are the kick back in a hammock with a good book type. I’m one of the latter, and all of my old parts are perfectly capable of doing that. Give me a good beach to stroll, tidepools to explore, a dark night for star-gazing, carne asada with friends, laughter and good times in a welcoming community, and something to write about and I’m a happy camper. And when the time eventually comes for shuffling off my mortal coil, they’ll have to drag me off the beaches kicking and screaming (in true Baby Boomer form), “Hell no, I won’t go!” You’re never too old to love life!
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