A Shared Culture

While Mexico and the States often times seem miles apart, we do share a culture. Yesterday, my first day with the kids by myself for the week, I decided to take them to the Zoo. The Zoo is always a great dad thing to do. Anyway, we were walking through the aquarium, we got to the clown fish and Joelle yells, "There's Nemo". As we walk away from the tank, after searching high and low for Dorie (We found her later in another tank), a little Mexican girl walks up to the clown fish and yells "Que esta, Nemo." At that moment, the world seemed rather small. I sat there and I thought about what our cultures did share; Hollywood and Madison Avenue.

While Mexico is very Mexico (I can't really explain and you can't really understand), we see traces of the United States everywhere. Literally, in Guadalajara it is hard at times to find a blank surface not covered with grafitti, but in many ways I feel the influence of what comes here from the United States is its own grafitti on this country. Yes, Nemo is cute and I guess every culture should get the opportunity to love the clown fish, but most of what comes here from Hollywood and Madison Avenue isn't quite so cute. For every Nemo, there is 100 American songs spewing trash, and 50 movies that I wouldn't watch myself, little lone encourage anyone else to watch. They did send Dr Pepper south (thank you), but along with it came every fast food monstrosity and Abercrombie and Fitch add that breaks the peacefulness of an otherwise totally unique culture. At times I see these movies, adds, and especially songs and I fined myself ashamed of the States. I realize that it isn't just this country that they transport their trash to, but every country. This I guess is inevitable as the world's economy morphs together, but it is quite sad as well.

You look at these things and realize that this country is not really better for a single one of these "imports"(I can't imagine any country is). Older Mexicans will tell you this to your face, while poetically extolling the virtues of a "Pre-States" Mexico they remember just 20 years ago. I wish I could have seen this country 20 years ago. I assume my chance to see any other country "Pre-US" is gone as well. That makes me sad. Because here all of the things you would be happy to leave behind in America come with you. And all the things good about the States that you would have loved to bring with you, are unknown to most.

As I sit here the idea of first impressions popped into my head. Coming from sales I know the importance of them. I then don't find it so hard to understand why much of the world holds there noses up at us or the Muslim world finds us truly repugnant. What I see here, a man sitting in another country, is not anything beautiful about the US. But literally, its trash, spewed across every billboard, popping up in my local market, and blaring out of every 18 year old car I walk by. That is the culture we share with Mexico.