Thursday, May 10, 2012

¡Ya Basta! No More Violence!


PUTTING A FACE TO THE VIOLENCE

It's a bad day today.
It's Mother's Day - in Mexico -
and we should be happy. Celebrating!
We are not.

Maria and Mario Paz Garcia
in their restaurant Mario's.
Great food, great service, and really
nice people.

This morning the church bells pealed the
death knell and this couple received notice
that their son - and only child - was among
the 14 or more bodies found stuffed into two vehicles
along the highway connecting Guadalajara
and Lake Chapala.

He and 2 of his friends were playing basketball
on the Ajijic malecón about a week ago when they were
snatched at gunpoint.
No demand was ever uttered.

Abel Paz Encisco was the director of the
Balet Folklorio San Antonio Tlayacapan
and engaged to be married.

Descanse en Paz, Abel.



What a friggin' waste.

Friday, May 4, 2012

A Small Story About Giving May 2012



Here is a small story
that has come to me from
Jack Kornfield


by way of Anne Lamott -
By far, one of my favorite writers.

GIVING

An eight year old boy had a six year old sister
who was dying of leukemia.
His parents explained to him that she needed
a blood transfusion or she would die.

They told him that she needed a donor
and that his blood was probably compatible
to hers.
They asked him if he would be willing to donate
a pint of blood to his sister
as it could be her only chance of living.

He said he would have to think about
it overnight.

The next day he went to his parents
and said he was willing to donate his blood.

They took him to the hospital where he was
placed on a gurney alongside his sister.

The IVs were started and a pint of blood
was withdrawn from the boy and
transfused into his ailing sister.

As the blood dripped into his sister,
the boy lay in silence 
until the doctor came over
to ask him how he was doing.

The boy opened his eyes and said,
"How soon until I start to die?"