Vagabonding? … or … Projecting?
Vagabonding? … or … Projecting?
Where am I going and why?
The debate: open-ended adventure … or … comfort-zone project.
The map keeps spreading, the dots … the wanna see places … are multiplying. And the “why’s” are arguing with each other. I’m trying to follow the Vagabond way … or at least part of me is … the other part is trying to make a project plan with Gantt charts, deliverables, and task dependencies.
I’m a middling person … sitting somewhere in the middle of most spectrums … which can be good … or not. “Balanced” is a word that comes to mind … or equilibrium … or stuck in inertia. I began my career in accounting, drifted into marketing, and then rolled out the corporate door when the entrepreneurial call could no longer be ignored. Now retired and able to follow any path, I keep trying to follow them all.
I Could Do This … or That … or Even that one over there.
Or I could just wander and see what finds me.
An early mentor might have called this a “Giant Hairball.”
Ideas come easily … and I’m pretty good at executing them … well, some of them (the rest are like a pile of autumn leaves ready to be burned or blown away.) What I’m not so good at is wandering about, letting curiosity and enthusiasm dance along a lesser marked path with no fixed destination in sight, willing to take one step at a time until the fog lifts.
Murals and stories are calling
For this particular adventure, I want to let curiosity lead the way. … however, ideas for a book keep popping up, calling for a focus decision, a plan for research, a narrowing of my attention window. That’s my comfort zone screaming, wanting a rational purpose, fighting the idea of Vagabonding without expectations, letting myself find the juice in whatever comes my way. Curiosity is strong, however, and this adventure was born in synchronicity … I’m very curious to see where it might lead me, which means, for awhile at least, I have to resist the urge to jump into a project.
In the meantime, here are some of the map dots that are waving to me:
Villa Jiménez/Morelia/Pátzcuaro/Cherán — the definite starting place is a town of 4,000 outside of Morelia. This is where my friend’s family lives and she is generously letting me use her house as a base for this adventure.
Guadalajara/Lake Chapala/Ajijic — The village of Ajijic on Lake Chapala has a long story of art and murals and I look forward to renewing my connection to some of the artists there. Ajijic is home to one of the most unique murals I’ve come across in Mexico. Efrén González’s “Wall of Skulls” might also be classified as a sculptural installation and I’ve long thought it should be considered a cultural heritage landmark of Mexico. During Day of the Dead, candles are lit within the thousand skulls on the wall, dedicated to deceased loved ones of this small lakeside town.
San Miguel de Allende (SMA)/Guanajuato/Querétero — I am relatively familiar with the brilliant murals of SMA but look forward to what I might discover in this amazing highlands area.
CDMX/Xochimilco - This is where my comfort zone will be tested. Mexico City is huge and intimidating … but mandatory. I expect to see incredible murals and hope to meet some of the artists and hear their stories. And, Xochimilco, the fabled “floating gardens of Mexico” make me wonder how much the “old ways” might help us save our future.
60 Days +/- … Powered by Curiosity … Questions Wanted
So, while heading out with a one-way ticket, wandering through all of these places in search of murals, artists of murals, and stories that touch and/or inspire me, looks like it could take 60+ days. While Cherán, with its story of bravery in a troubled world, was the impetus for this trip, I believe the power that will keep it going is curiosity … questions about a world so close to us, so much a part of our daily lives, and yet different in so many ways.
What questions do your have about Mexico, traveling in Mexico, murals, culture, food … anything? Here are some of mine:
Cherán: What roles do their murals play in their community? How do they maintain their commitment to communal democracy? What threats do they face? What supports their community?
Murals of Mexico: What is the current balance of commercialism (big, logo murals, festivals) versus independent artists and local murals? What makes the difference in how individual communities support murals and mural artists?
So what are your curiosities or questions that I could carry with me as I go awandering through central Mexico?
BACKSTORY: When I moved from Oklahoma to California in my early 20s with my Vietnam-returnee, Marine Corps husband, it was like Dorothy waking up in technicolor Oz. Everything made my head spin. My first trip to Mexico left me wondering why a line on a map running through the same geography resulted in two different worlds: San Diego on one side and Tijuana on the other.
Mexico grew in fascination, became the place for vacations, a refuge from grief, a culture to explore, a language to learn, a second “home.” When I lived in Ajijic, I learned about Neill James, an American woman with a mysterious background who wound up recovering from a serious accident (a volcano fell on her) in that small lakeside community. It changed her; she changed it. One of the things she said was,
"Once the dust of Mexico settles on your heart, you can never go home again.”
I understand her statement, however, for me, Mexico has become part of a boundaryless “home” and I am grateful to be able to embark on this pilgrimage to the other side of my heart. Current date of departure: March 27, 2024.
You’re invited to be part of this adventure … weekly posts and photos will always be free. However, if you’d like to be part of the arm chair crew with private chats and extra inside glimpses, here are some options:
Mexico is and has always been a country of artists. As a fan of mural art, I look forward to your discoveries.
I like Bob Martin's question and also yours, "What is the current balance of commercialism (big, logo murals, festivals) versus independent artists and local murals? What makes the difference in how individual communities support murals and mural artists?" I would also ask, "How do you imagine future generations will interpret these murals?"