Ponders in Mérida - more info and soon pics

[HOWELL]

It is funny how all the people around the world blame the less fortunate for everything bad happening on some others.
I just think they should get a life and do something better with it than just start spreading rumors and stereotyping somone.
The thing is some of those un-educated witnesses, always blame the ones that look different or what they thing that is inferior to them.

I still can not believe some of them still do it, we are in the 20th century and we want a change, we want equal rights and we want freedom above all..I would love to see someday no racism, and people loving each other and seeing no difference between them.

Peace to all...I love tabascans.......and they accents..

[Julles]

Well, Jonna, here in the U.S., it's always "a Black man" or "a Hispanic man" who comitted any given crime, isn't it?  Especially if his skin is particularly dark.  Heck, I'm told that even Black people are suspicious of really dark skinned Black people.

Howell, I had an interesting experience in discrimination, or reverse discrimination, or whatever.  Some friends in a group I belong to are kind up "uppity" - very prim and proper, and tend to drop tidbits about their nice house, trips, expensive possessions, etc.  Well, one day we were talking about Minimum Wage, and how poor people have such a harder time getting by, because, for example, a McDonald's hamburger costs as much for a wealthy person to buy as for a poor person.  I was talking about the book Nickle and Dimed, about how a newspaper reporter went undercover and tried to live on Minimum Wage for a year, working menial jobs, etc.

Well, when our luncheon was over, the couple I mentioned, the lady looked at me and asked, "Julles, what did you do before you became a wallpaper hanger?"  So I told her I was licensed funeral director, and made sure to advise her I had a college degree, owned a home, had "friends in high places," etc.

Evidentally, this couple always thought of me as a "day laborer" and therefore thought lowly of me, and, I guess, merely tolerated me at their events and meetings as a way of offering a hand to the poor.      

I bet it just drives them BATTY that I am actually an intelligent, articulate, accomplished person who LIKES working as a day laborer!

Oh, and I most likely retain a little of my native MidWest twangy whine, too.

[Jonna]

As humans, we haven't moved too far from the chickens really.  Always looking for someone we can consider under us to peck. 

Class is a huge deal here, you haven't begun to meet a snob up north like they have here.  I find it kind of sad and funny that in the US people lump all latins together and consider them poor because that is who they usually see working menial jobs.  What they don't realize is that the upper classes down here are so far above the affluent in the US that they joke about it.  The rich here are incredibly rich but also they are waited on hand and foot from birth and can't imagine anyone who isn't poor not having servants.  So, when they encounter a middle class American they don't think of them as well off but as a lower class person who has done well for themselves perhaps.   The other side of that is that the poor here will automatically defer to one of the upper class, they rail against them in the news but in person they defer to them.   

There is a middle class here and they also have servants but usually they are professionals or they have worked for their money.  I feel that the health of the middle class is the health of a country's economy.  The poor are just trying to survive, they have few other aspirations because food and shelter take all their time.  The rich like it just like it is because they are on top.  It's the middle class that wants better for their children, that dreams of creating more and it is the middle class that supports education and are willing to sacrifice to see their kids go to school.  It is also the middle class that fights corruption and wants better policing and secure neighborhoods and schools. 

[jw]

Hahaha Yes I did hear the accents Jonna even though Robie and Neo do not have that much of a yucatecan accent there are others with a more pronounce one.
Have you ever listen to a tabasqueno..they have the funniest mexican accent ever...

JW you should come down here sometime and we will have a blast and I will teach you all types of accents down here.

Thank you Howell for the invite...............we would have a blast I am sure and yes maybe someday when my DH gets to retire we will get to do some roaming around the different parts of the world  . Accents are fun to hear all over the world and I wish I could speak every language.............wouldn't that be wonderful  .

[HOWELL]

Yeah I do not like that type of people.....I just think that money, good school and all that stuff does not educate you...because for me education means what your parents teach you to behave properly.
As for knowledge what some people call education and it is wrongly used in all languages, you can get knowledge anywhere but educaton what makes someone a better person in a dayly basis, and it is actually just found in your inner self and acquired from you parents.
If you have good roots that is gonna make you be someone better and the apple do not fall far from the tree.
Sometimes I see rich people judging or saying something mean to someone, I do not like to see something not so fair going on and I go up to them and confront them.
One time one dude talk back to me whenever I told him to shut up, and said what are you gonna do naco, I never dress up prepy even though I used to, we come from a good family and have some money but never like to show it, and so whenever he called me that I was like do you seriously think because you have money you are not a naco yourself and he said yes, and I got my unlimited credit card and gave it to him and said please go buy yourself some book, try to speak proper spanish first and then talk to me that way ok...he could not believe I had that card.....but that is what you have to do whenever people drives you crazy.
And I was like BTW get a life yourself and then start judging others...

[HOWELL]

Hahaha Yes I did hear the accents Jonna even though Robie and Neo do not have that much of a yucatecan accent there are others with a more pronounce one.
Have you ever listen to a tabasqueno..they have the funniest mexican accent ever...

JW you should come down here sometime and we will have a blast and I will teach you all types of accents down here.

Thank you Howell for the invite...............we would have a blast I am sure and yes maybe someday when my DH gets to retire we will get to do some roaming around the different parts of the world  . Accents are fun to hear all over the world and I wish I could speak every language.............wouldn't that be wonderful  .

You can come down here and stay with us anytime......I would love to have a friend from AP down here...

[jw]

Thanks Howell I will remember that.............you are a good muchacho 

[jw]

Howell, I will come when the melting season isn't happening as you say  .

[Jonna]

Howell that's a great story.  Good for you.  

We have a condo over on the Caribbean coast in a small town that used to only be scuba divers.  Now, it is full of rich Americans and Mexicans and has become rather snooty.  My friends and I keep saying we are going to get t-shirts made that say "Las Nacas de Akumal" just to mess with them.  

[HOWELL]

I will so love to see that t-shirt....sounds like a lor of fun...
Another story of mine is that one time at HEB some indigenous people were buying and going around the store and their kids were looking at toys and some stupid, crappy and not so smart woman told her own kids to stay away because they might have some diseases that they could spread or even headlies and I was so freaking mad that I went straight up to her and said, look freaking piece of crap if you do not want your kids to touch the same toys because they might get a disease means that we are all equal, and she looked up at me and started screaming but I have a louder voice so I outpowered her and I shushed her.
She said to me I'm sure you have no idea who I am, and I said back and I'm sure you have no idea who I am.
She was confused and some people came along and the only bad thing I did that day was that I flipped her the bird...
And told her to get some education because she seriously needed it and that she was a nobody besides a piece of s***.
The indegnous woman came by me and thanked me because she said she was from a small town from the south and she just moved here because of her husband getting a new job and she said that a lot of people were mean just because of their looks, she even cried, the manager came by and said that a woman had said that I was being indecent and that she will not come back if people like me were shopping in there, the woman waited on the entrance because she wanted to see me get thrown out, but the only thing she saw was the manager thanking me for what I've just done.
She left the store like crazy and I felt so cool that I helped someone out..the only thing the manager told me was please if this occurs once again in here just let me know but do not make such a scene...



JW....still melting down here..........

[Jonna]

You da bomb Howell    Young people like you give me faith in this world.   

Actually, I do believe there are more good people than bad and that even some of the bad ones would step up to the mark if given a good example.   I think you are right about kids only reflecting how they are raised, you can form your own opinions once you are an adult but it is much harder if you were not taught to think for yourself as a child. 

[jw]

Jonna you are so right..............Howell is a good dude . He's gonna make some dudette a good mate someday and any mother and father should be proud to have him as their son  . I know I would  .

[Julles]

Howell, you ROCK!  You are my hero for the day.  No, my hero for the WEEK!!

Back to my story about the lady... Here she was feeling sorry for and looking down on me because she takes me for a lowly blue-collar worker.  Well, here I am feeling sorry for her, because I have such an interesting life and am involved in so many things, and take risks and go on adventures and live in a cool downtown neighborhood and have lots of friends and things to do, and all she has is fancy clothes and a new house in a dull boring suburb far from anything of interest. 

It's all a matter of perspective. 

[emm]

This thread has taken a very interesting turn.  Thanks to all who have posted.  And Howell - the more I read from you the more impressed I am by what a fine young man you are!  Way to go. 

emm

[Jonna]

You are right Jules, they have no idea the joys of having the freedom to do what you want without having to conform to some dress or possessions code.  I will not wear real shoes ever again, unless I decide I want to     But, if I keep feeling the way I do now, I won't give up my flip flops for any event.  I wear hiking shorts and flip flops every single day of the year and I love that I have the freedom to do that.  Well, and the weather too     I have drawers full of hiking shorts and only 4 pair of long pants and those rarely come out of their lonely drawer.   It's what I want and I can live like this because I don't care what class others think I am.  If I have some event to go to that I want to show respect and feel I should dress up a bit, then I get out the long cotton pants but I still wear my flip flops, I just wear my fancy ones.   I think it is easier for me to do this because I'm old, if I were a youngster then I think the opinions of my peers would be too strong.  It's one of the few pleasures of age.   Plus, having worn a uniform most of my career, wearing the same basic thing every day and knowing exactly which pocket my ID or my sunglasses are in is comfortable for me.

[HOWELL]

Thanks you all....I feel now like a really good person, but I'm sure you would've done the same..we are into ponds which means we all love life and people...

[LynneNY]

we are into ponds which means we all love life and people...

I love this statement - would you mind if I use it as a quote on my gardening forum?

[HOWELL]

we are into ponds which means we all love life and people...

I love this statement - would you mind if I use it as a quote on my gardening forum?

You can use this all you want....

[LynneNY]

Thanks Howell! 

[Julles]

Hee hee.  I am into Dr. Scholl's Exercise Sandles.  They are about ALL I wear.  My idea of being dressed up is putting on a pair of BLACK Dr. Scholl's.   

[janek]

"And Howell - the more I read from you the more impressed I am by what a fine young man you are!  Way to go. "

I second that Howell!!  I'm impressed as well - thank you for being you!

[HOWELL]

Awww. thanks ya'll....I appreciate you a whole lot...greetings from mexico...