World Beginnings

Adopted children seem to have unending questions about their identity; I speak from personal experience.  Now imagine learning that you were adopted from China by American parents. As time passes, your adoptive parents reveal painful bits about your history: that you were abandoned by a busy roadside in a cardboard box wrapped in an adult raincoat or left on the steps of a busy government building? Next, stop at an overcrowded orphanage with room after room of twenty baby beds per room and one “nanny?” Netflix has a documentary called “Found,” focusing on three Chinese American teenaged girls who discover through the DNA kit “23 and Me” that they were cousins! The documentary follows the girls through a series of zoom meetings, discussions with their adoptive mothers/fathers, and finally meeting a young Chinese woman with a degree in genealogy and a passion for helping parents and adoptees find each other through the use of DNA research. Through this emotionally tumultuous journey,...

  A few days ago, my dog, Paco, chewed through yet another expensive new leash. I sighed and looked at all of the unusable leashes draped over the railing. Then I realized that I could take it to the little shoe repairman whose shop was nearby. Of course, here in my little village of 11,000, everything is close at hand. When I got to Humberto’s dark, dusty shop, I found him watching something on his phone, with shoes,   belts, and all sorts of leather things stacked up, filling the tiny shop. But the back walls were covered in posters advertising the events where he had performed. Some posters showed a very youthful and handsome man, while others were of a proud older gentleman. Using my broken Spanish, I explained my dog had chewed through yet another leash and could he sew it up? Smiling at me, he answered in English that he could, and I could just wait. His first step was to apply industrial strength glue, and while we waited for the glue to dry, I asked him if he sang? Put...

  A cynical look at this paradise called Lakeside. Retirees flock here for the relatively inexpensive lifestyle and supposedly the second best climate in the world. The web is filled with realtors and bloggers touting the wonderful life that awaits them just over the border. Still, if people get the stars out of their eyes for just a moment, they can join several Facebook groups to read about all of the complaining that goes on here. Those who come from expensive cities such as San Francisco, LA, Seattle, NYC can live lavish lives ensconced in gated communities that offer pools, gyms, tennis courts, pickleball along with potlucks, etc. They have cooks, housekeepers, pool men, and gardeners. Amazon, Nordstroms, etc.,  will deliver right to their door, and someone is always there to receive the package. These homes offer sweeping views of Lake Chapala and the mountains on the other side. This is the paradise so many dream of living in but is out of reach for most. On the other e...