| Re: Mundane Chat again. 03.07.22 |
Subject: Re: Mundane Chat again. 03.07.22 by TommyT-Bone on 2022/3/7 14:02:17 Here is a little vacation story from my neighbor, Mark. He's not your typical American male. "OK, this is too good not to share while I'm having a siesta. Apparently I have a Mexican name here!!!🤣 I've been coming to this kinda isolated little town for a few years and there's not much to do but eat and drink so I spend most days ambling around the desert, often following migrant trails and occasionally encountering/surprising small groups in dense brush or sandy shaded alcoves. They are not used to seeing white people in these places and always suspicious but generally friendly and curious once I greet them in Spanish with a smile. Often we end up talking for awhile. To back up a bit, at most I wear sandals but if not to much mesquite and the sand isn't unbearably hot, I usually hang them on my belt. I also hike with a stout branch. A stick or snake hook is standard for me no matter where I hike but it does have a dual purpose if ever needed... once upon a time I did train for a couple years with the Japanese staff and though certainly no longer proficient, should things go poorly, I would prefer it any day to a knife. In Aikido we trained extensively for knife fights but as my sensei hammered into us, "you will get cut, expect to get cut, we train so you only get cut once"... I'd rather not. The staff is not aggressive or intimidating and other than hand placement, the defensive ready position looks just as casual as holding a walking stick...but I digress: As I was walking down a dirt track after several miles and on the way back to town this afternoon, I passed a couple older gentleman having a beer by their makeshift shack. They eyed me suspiciously and we exchanged "buenas tardes". I got maybe 30 feet past them and one hollers out in perfect English "Hey, are you Moses?" I turned toward the distant river on my shoeless feet, raised my "staff" with a laugh saying "sure, would you like me to part the river and wall for you?". They laughed then he said again without a hint of sarcasm, "no really, are you Moses?" I didn't know what to say but he seemed insistant and sincere. "Ha, no, my name is Mark and I'm old but not that old!" They asked if I had been here before and I confirmed I had several times. They went on to tell me that people in the area often talk about "Moses" a bearded shoeless gringo that walks the migrant trails carrying a staff...we had one helluva laugh and shared a warm beer...plenty of problems here and yes, plenty of bad people like anywhere else...but I fucking love Mexico!!!! I shall wear my biblical namesake proudly!" |
