El Grito Spirit

Oh Guau! (that’s “wow!” in Spanish), my Zumba cardio class got me in the Mexico Bicentennial spirit this morning! Today, September 15, is when “El Grito” is celebrated, the cry for independence in 1810. It’s actually celebrated throughout the country at 11pm in local town plazas, grandes y pequenas, and usually the mayor reenacts the cry of Father Hidalgo who encouraged his Indian parishioners in Dolores to rise up and join the insurgents from San Miguel and Queretaro. (President Calderon will issue El Grito in Dolores tonight.) Tomorrow is the official holiday (think July 4th in US) and there are SO MANY parades! I’m a happy camper.

Back to Zumba. I’ve taken Zumba in the US, but there is nothing like doing Zumba in a latin country where the salsa, cha cha, merengue, ranchera, etc., moves are so authentic. I mean, these people don’t go to dance classes to learn these steps, they just KNOW…and I feel like an up-tight Puritan who can only move in my head, not my body. Oh well, it is GREAT exercise, and there are days when I actually think I am loosening up.

There are usually 75-100 people in the class and today most of them were wearing red, white and green (Mexico flag colors) clothes, hair ribbons, sashes, headbands, earrings AND flags on headbands with blinking lights. It was awesome. First tune to get the heart and body parts moving was something that yelled “Mexico! Mexico! Mexico!”…I think it is something that is played at world soccer games.

It’s been a looong time since I’ve seen this kind of mass patriotic exuberance in the US — this sense of pride and honor in one’s country. No point in addressing possible reasons why that is…but I have to say it was quite an upper being surrounded by citizens who feel so proud of Mexico.

I had been feeling kind of bummed about all the troubles facing Mexico (in spite of the violence their economy is growing by a healthy 4%-ish), and earlier this week I read an article describing lots of citizens in Mexico feeling bummed in this Bicentennial year and that it was nothing to celebrate. In fact, somebody said that “El Grito” really means “Help me!”.

And I asked myself, what can I do to help? And the thought flitted across my consciousness that I could begin with prayer…affirming what I believe is the true identity of all mankind: we are all free, free to be the good and blessed children of the Divine’s creating. We are free from the claims of violence and terror, and free to express the joy, happiness, exuberance and love that the Divine put in each of our hearts.

I saw this today in my Zumba class, I saw it as I walked through the Jardin as tons of people are enthusiastically preparing for tonight and tomorrow’s celebrations. This is the real Mexico: free, joyous, proud.

Viva Mexico!