Mexico: San Lunes
Today I woke up with a case of the Mondays...in Mexico sometimes people "celebrate" Feliz San Lunes. It's a way of saying, "I'm not ready for the weekend to be over and would rather not go to work today." Upon opening my Facebook this morning I scrolled through my newsfeed and was reminded of a certain September 24th which passed us nine years ago. 09/24/03 is a date that will never be forgotten by the ROCORI community. I was only 12 years old and my naive seventh grade mind couldn't comprehend the events which had passed us that day; a fatal school shooting was everything that nobody expected could happen in a small Minnesota town of 4,000 people.
My day was put into perspective after a minute of reflection. Suddenly I wasn't so tired and eager to complain about the fact that it is Monday. Instead I looked at each passing moment of today with a renewed sense of appreciation and awe.
The other day I was at the gym and had a conversation with the trainer about the different types of violence that exist in Mexico and the United States. He told me that he couldn't believe all of the shootings which occur in U.S. schools, movie theatres, and New York City streets "for no apparent reason." We then talked about how in the United States all that anybody ever hears about Mexico is how dangerous it is, that each day X amount of people are kidnapped and murdered. In the time that I have been here I haven't seen any of this, although I'm sure it certainly exists. It's too bad that the U.S. neglects to report the good news that comes out of Mexico, because it definitely exists as well.
The fact is that both "good" and "bad" surround us wherever we go. The crime rates in Washington D.C. are higher than in Mexico City. School violence...any type of violence, for that matter...occurs in the most unexpected places. What can we do about it? Engage in conversation and connection with each other, building networks of hope for humanity. Spread the love. Be grateful for the Mondays that we are given to share with those we love rather than complaining about another San Lunes.
My day was put into perspective after a minute of reflection. Suddenly I wasn't so tired and eager to complain about the fact that it is Monday. Instead I looked at each passing moment of today with a renewed sense of appreciation and awe.
The other day I was at the gym and had a conversation with the trainer about the different types of violence that exist in Mexico and the United States. He told me that he couldn't believe all of the shootings which occur in U.S. schools, movie theatres, and New York City streets "for no apparent reason." We then talked about how in the United States all that anybody ever hears about Mexico is how dangerous it is, that each day X amount of people are kidnapped and murdered. In the time that I have been here I haven't seen any of this, although I'm sure it certainly exists. It's too bad that the U.S. neglects to report the good news that comes out of Mexico, because it definitely exists as well.
The fact is that both "good" and "bad" surround us wherever we go. The crime rates in Washington D.C. are higher than in Mexico City. School violence...any type of violence, for that matter...occurs in the most unexpected places. What can we do about it? Engage in conversation and connection with each other, building networks of hope for humanity. Spread the love. Be grateful for the Mondays that we are given to share with those we love rather than complaining about another San Lunes.
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