A Conversation with a Gringo, attributed to Anthony Bourdain

Photo by Roberto Nickson on Unsplash
https://unsplash.com/photos/HmieZw0YOC0

I believe this was written by Anthony Bourdain:

Gringo(a): - Hi, where are you from?

Mexican: - Hi, I’m from Mexico

Gringo (a): - Ah! The land of Chapo Guzmán, narcos, marihuana, crime and extortion.

Mexican -I’m sorry, are you a drug addict or a TV junkie?

Gringo (a) - No!!! Why?

Mexican -Because if you were an athlete or sports fan, you would have identified Mexico with Ana Guevara, Hugo Sanchez, Julio Cesar Chavez, Finito, Chicharito Hernandez, Canelo Alvarez, Rafael Marquez, etc.

If you were an educated person, you would have asked about the Aztec empire, the Mayan culture, the Olmecs or any other of the great mesoamerican cultures.

If you were a well traveled person you would have talked about our majestic archaeological sites, our tourist-friendly colonial cities, our megalopolis or our exotic beaches… the astonishing biodiversity of our rainforests, mountain ranges, deserts, conifer forests…

You could have identified Mexico with our great painters, Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Frida Khalo, José Clemente Orozco; our composers: Agustín Lara, Consuelo Velázquez, Armando Manzanero, Juan Gabriel Jose Alfredo Jimenez, our writers and poets: Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, Juan Rulfo, Octavio Paz, Juan José Arreola, Elena Poniatowska, Amado Nervo, Jaime Sabines;

our inventors or scientists: Manuel Mondragón, Guillermo González Camarera, Luis Ernesto Miramontes; our cinematographers: Ismael Rodríguez, Emilio Fernández, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Emmanuel Lubezki, and even Luis Buñuel, who, being originally from Spain, chose to adopt the Mexican nationality...

If you were a gourmand, you would have asked about Tamales, Cochinita Pibil, Mole, Adobo, Chilaquiles, Chiles en nogada, Guacamole, Pan de Muerto, etc. Or our traditional beverages: Tequila, Mezcal, wines, and beers.

However, I can see, the only thing you can relate to Mexico is the provider of American drug addicts...

I just want you to realize that México is a lot more than what ignorant people and fear-mongering media knows or chooses to propagate.

There are millions of honest Mexicans, who even without knowing you, will open the door to our homes, and that if you care to visit, you will love to get to know us and to visit us. Mexico is even more than I can possibly tell you!

The Passing of a Legend

image source https://www.facebook.com/lin.pardey

A great man has passed this week, in a faraway land, down under - on the island of Kawau in New Zealand.

• https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/2020/07/31/#larry-pardey-sets-sail-final-voyage
• https://www.soundingsonline.com/news/eight-bells-legendary-bluewater-sailor-larry-pardey-passes-away
• https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Lin_and_Larry_Pardey
  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lin_and_Larry_Pardey
• [YouTube] Larry Pardey Mariner Who Sailed the World at His Leisure Dies at 81 

Unless you have a passion for sailing - I'm quite sure you would probably have never heard of him.

I do not imagine that he was a rich man. He did not launch any major companies or commercial products, that I am aware of. His career did not involve any specialization in any modern technologies. And, while he was a very intelligent man - I'm not sure that he had any degree beyond a High School Diploma.

But, within the sphere in which he worked his trade - and to those of us who admired and respected his accomplishments - he was a rare breed of man. His wife - equal to his every accomplishment, in their decades of adventures together.

He suffered for many years with an incurable illness. I am saddened by his passing - but comforted that his suffering has ended.

I knew of him, and their life together, for many years - and their amazing globe-spanning adventures - primarily through the books that they wrote and published.

The value of the lessons I learned from reading their books - incalculable.

But, perhaps not intuitively obvious  - as might be conventionally considered - directly applicable to my day-to-day professional life.

And so, you might assume that that might lessen the true material impact he/they had on my life.

But, you would be wrong.

For in all the ways that truly matter - the lessons I learned from his/their example - were the ones that matter the most.

We only met once, briefly. When I just happened to catch a glimpse, out of the corner of my eye, of what I thought might be their truck making a turn in a suburb of Seattle (that alone, should give you a clue as to how deeply I read their books).

I followed them for miles (someone, observing from afar, might have called it "stalking" them).

When they parked near Pike Place Marketplace - I waited for them to walk back up a steep hill, toward me.

Grinning from ear-to-ear, I greeted them with beaming joy. As I stepped forward to offer my hand, I said "Hello Mr. Pardey".

I don't remember the exact exchange of words after that - but it was something along the lines of thanking them for being such an inspiration to me.

Larry and Lin Pardey - both shook my hand that day. If you had given me the choice of meeting them and shaking their hands - or meeting any other famous person (living, or dead) - on that day, in that moment, I would still have chosen their hands to shake. The inspiration I received from their example and their adventures -  meant more to me than words can express. Shining beacons...of fortitude, of faith, of effort, of their partnership and belief in each other.

Larry has passed on.

Their stories remain.

I will close with this quote that Lin Pardey shared on her facebook page

Larry Pardey: “We were put on this earth to help each other.”

Indeed.

2020-12-31 Update: 

I noted that Lin published a blog post about the October 31st Celebration of Larry's Life:
https://pardeytime.blogspot.com/2020/11/celebrating-larrys-life.html

 

 [movie] The Real Deal: Larry Pardey, Legendary Sailor & Adventurer

• [trailer] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-2Qf68tk3k
• https://www.amazon.com/Real-Deal-Larry-Pardey-Adventurer/dp/B09PZW148M 
  
• https://www.latitude38.com/lectronic/the-real-deal-larry-pardey-legendary-sailor-adventurer/
• https://www.thesailingchannel.tv/product/the-real-deal-larry-pardey/
  
• Lin Pardey, The Real Deal - Sailing - The Ocean Cruisers Podcast - Chat 25 

Future Boat Project - Wrap Your Wheel Using French Spiral Hitching (Good Old Boat)

• https://www.amazon.com/Tarred-Twine-Bank-Line-Strength/dp/B07PJW658R/
• https://www.amazon.com/SGT-KNOTS-Tarred-Twine-Durable/dp/B00EVX5RKA/