by Kristine MacKain
I am an American living in San Miguel de Allende Mx and, to me, this town
is wondrous.
For such a modest town, San Miguel de Allende Mx
photo credit: mickou is filled with spirit and
meaning. It is also a place that triggers the imagination, which is one reason
it appeals so much to artists. The town connects each individual to its past,
its present, and its future. In the U.S., life is all about the present and,
especially, the future. The U.S. is a curiously ahistorical place; the downside
of that is Americans can feel very disconnected with their history and also
with each other. In San Miguel de Allende Mx, you are reminded of those who have come
before—a 16th century church bell chimes as it has for hundreds of
years, an iron monger uses techniques passed down through the ages, the Day of
the Dead ceremony formally honors and remembers those who have died. You are aware that you are part of that
human history, and part of a history that is unfolding now.
The town itself is pure poetry—an exquisitely beautiful
place, continually expressing itself in sensuous and unexpected ways that cause
one to stop and reflect. For example, the ordinary sounds the street vendors
use to sell their wares are unique and intriguing: the rapid, high-pitched
sounds of the knife sharpener playing his pan flute, the lyrical chant of the
man at the corner selling garbanzo beans. Their singing and playing bring
beauty and wonder to the otherwise mundane activity of selling products.
This is also a city of contrasts. Contrasts raise one’s
awareness of one’s surroundings and satisfy one’s need for balance. In San
Miguel, almost everywhere you look, you see the traditional contrasted with the
modern, the rustic and simple juxtaposed with the elegant and
sophisticated. In the morning, for
example, you may encounter a street musician strumming two strings of a guitar
and singing folk songs – then, that evening you could be listening to the Miami
string quartet.
Mexicans in San Miguel are accepting and patient, warm and
friendly. They are especially patient with foreigners’ clumsy attempts to use
their beautiful language. Mexicans have a beautiful manner of courteously
greeting strangers who make eye contact with them on the street. In this way,
Mexicans acknowledge and value the presence of another as opposed to ignoring
those who pass by them. This ritual makes even a stranger to San Miguel feel
part of a larger community, welcomed and accepted, and reminds us that we are
interconnected.
Personally, I love the common ground I encounter almost
every time I talk to a native of San Miguel. Because the border between Mexico
and the U.S. is very fluid, you are always discovering someone who has worked
in your State, or has cousins living near your hometown. It is a reminder that
we are part of a global community and that we all have a responsibility to each
other.
