Attitudes

I like the attitudes of Mexican people. I like their attitude towards children, the elderly and each other. They take people at face value. If you are a good person then you are accepted and they seem to have the ability to look deep into your sole to decide if you are a good person. Men hug in Mexico. It felt strange at first but I like it. You meet friends for lunch and everyone hugs with the men giving each other a slap on the back as they hug.

Family is much more important here than it is NOB. Young children seldom cry as they are looked after by parents and older siblings. It is not at all unusual to see a teenager out on a date with a younger brother or sister in tow. City squares or Centros are alive with families at night. They sit, laugh and walk together. Just like a family. It is nice to see.

I like the Mexican attitude, at least what I see of it,  towards gays. I may be wrong but gays do not seem to be treated any differently than anyone else. Some of us may consider ourselves “enlightened” but there is a noticeable difference between what happens here and in the States and even in Canada (where even more of us consider ourselves “enlightened”) when gays appear on the scene. Here, no one even seems to notice. Heads do not turn. They are just people and are therefore subject to the same “good person, bad person” test as the rest of us.

I do detect a difference in the way Americans are treated compared to Canadians. I think this is a result of the way Mexican people have been treated in the USA. I hope this will change with Obama in the White House. I feel it will as Mexicans are hopeful of the new Administration. This difference in treatment does not seem to extend to the expatriate community. Maybe Mexicans feel that people who have moved to Mexico have given up any of the unpleasant attributes of their nationality. They moved to Mexico for a reason and are being given a chance to start anew.

Mexican people are not as respectful of the rich and their wealth as many would like. Park your brand new half million dollar bus in a grocery store parking lot and it just may have a parking lot ding in the side or a buggy against it when you come back. “Things” and “stuff” do not mean the same down here as they do NOB. Even Mexicans who can afford a new vehicle do not seem to mind letting their kids sit on top of it to watch a parade. It is just “stuff” and the roof can always be repainted cheap. It is far better to have happy kids than a pristine roof. Not a bad attitude.