I didn't die, I woke up

by Marcela Gutiérrez Bravo

  I read around that mockery is a way to ridicule someone. Who would want to ridicule someone? The Mexican. Why? Because the act of ridiculing someone leaves the evil person who made the joke, for a moment, as someone superior, (in the belief of the joker himself). ¡Ya chingó[21]! And that's the real reason why the Mexican loves to make fun of everything and avoid taking things seriously.

  Because seriousness is an area of reality and reality is something that you do not like.

  If I make fun of someone I am trying to ridicule, mockery must be a weapon that I only need for someone potentially superior to me. It's vile to make fun of someone who is obviously inferior, (however, there are people who do not stop at it).

  The mockery is to ridicule someone who is potentially superior.

  The Mexican mocks death.

  Ergo: The Mexican believes that death is potentially superior.

  So, this immense Mexican cultural display (so beautiful and unique) has nothing to do with a supposed bravery, but with a final cowardice.

  A parenthesis here to those who take advantage of this day of the year to once again demonstrate their love to their loved ones. They and the love that their loved ones awakened in them, they are not the objective of this reflection, much less its reason.

  After the parenthesis, we return to the aforementioned cowardice. To what? To our own mistakes or mediocrity; those that would end everything that we were in the same moment we stopped being us. That is, when dying.

  And if you died this day?

  If Mexican mothers wanted to make better children, they would remember this as much as possible. Are you ready to transcend? Are you already memorable? Have you prepared your way to eternal life? (The one of transcendence, not mythological).

  The day we stop fearing this question and confront it with a smile. That day, we will be sure that we will transcend and that we deserve it. With firm conviction that our mistakes have been minimal, that our life has touched lives and that we will continue to live in them, that this has been honorable and, hopefully, one day, the offerings will be only for the honorable ancestors, not for people that we hope to get out of the infernal "boat" to expect same favor in return. “Today for you tomorrow for me”; So the naive say, believing that they listen to themselves as splendid friends. True friendship and love, they are made of love, and love, supposedly, never expects anything in return. Today for you, tomorrow for me? No thanks! The best thing you can do for me, for you, for Mexico, for the world, is to be the best of you.

  Honor your life and, thus, your death will be honored.

  Marcela Gutiérrez Bravo

  AKNOLEDGMENT

  I won’t talk about the people whom I love and inspires me. I would never end! I just want to be fair with the ones who helped me to have this book translated and published in English.

  Thanks to Eduardo L. Rosario who translated the book in very short time and accepted to do it knowing the challenge it would be.

  Thanks to Diego Andrés Sánchez Gutiérrez who did the first proofreading and added the Translation Notes (T.N.) using his knowledge of American and Mexican jargon.

  Thanks to Crisopher VandeLinde who did the second proofreading and the editing. That was a great sample of friendship that I will always take into consideration.

  Thanks to NyxFeratu for the amazing cover she did for the English version, just as she did for the Spanish one.

  My eternal gratitude to all of you and it only remains to hope that we can reach the minds and hearts of English-speaking readers.

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  [1] The Programa Pueblos Mágicos ("Magical Towns Programme") is an initiative led by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism, with the support from other federal agencies, to promote a series of towns around the country that offer visitors a "magical" experience.(T.N..)

  [2] A public spectacle in which a fighting bull is engaged in a series of traditional maneuvers culminating usually with the ceremonial execution of the bull by sword.(T.N.)

  [3] The Heroica Escuela Naval Militar is the officer training academy of the Mexican Navy. (T.N..)

  [4] Atole is a traditional hot corn- and masa-based beverage of Mesoamerican origin.(T.N..)

  [5] Traditional Mexican dish with origins in the central and southern parts of Mexico (T.N..)

  [6] Muégano: Mexican sweet made in square pieces of wheat flour fried and glued together with honey. They tend to vary in preparation by region and the variety of Huamantla is very porous and fragile. (T.N..)

  [7] Catemaco: a town in the State of Veracruz known throughout the country for being the residence of so-called sorcerers or healers since prehispanic times.

  [8] , Mexican song “La adelita” (T.N.)

  [9] “Chirriones” Mexican word that denotes exclamation of surprise or protest.

  [10] “Madres” Dissonant colloquial expression used in Mexico that is used to indicate nothing or nothing. Similar in use to ‘Shit’. (T.N..)

  [11] Mexican slang word for “Beer”. (T.N.)

  [12] “Chin” Mexican word synonym of damn. (T.N.)

  [13] “Bungee” is a type of extreme sport which aims to launch from a site several meters high, with an elastic rope tied at the level of his ankles which will be held at the other end to the place where the fall began. (T.N.)

  [14] "Güero" In Mexico, it can mean anyone with lighter hair, even a person with light brown hair, especially brown hair. (T.N.)

  [15] Cempaxúchitl: Mexican marigold also called flor de muertos “flower of the dead”. Used in the Día de Muertos celebration every 2 November. (T.N.)

  [16] Chalupa: Tostada platter in Mexican cuisine.

  [17] Reall Academia Española, Royal Spanish Academy. Official overseer of the Spanish language.

  [18] “m’ijo” Affectionate and colloquial way of saying SON in Mexico. (T.N..)

  [19] The Mexican phrase "echar aguas" means that somebody keeps guard over something and warns somebody about someone coming or realizing about the fact. It is used as "cover me".(T.N.)

  [20] “chinga” With all its multiple meanings, it defines a great part of our life and qualifies our relations with the rest of our friends and compatriots. For the Mexican life is a possibility to fuck or to be fucked.

  [21] Synonymous to bother or annoy. (T.N.)