By Carmen Rioja

 

One of the most difficult challenges of aging is keeping the hope of being happy with a loving partner. As a result of the pain from multiple traumas and old love sprains, as we get older we protect ourselves with armor, multiple defense tools, and we are left ready for loneliness. Some of these mechanisms are well-founded, but if we allow them to be exacerbated they will not allow us to interact anymore, which is far from healthy.

 

Solitude, although it is a very comfortable place, is also a dark corner from which you have to go out very frequently. The reason is that there is a date awaiting with your lifelong partner, or if he/she is no longer with you, perhaps with a new person who amazes you and reminds you of the miracle of being alive.

 

But what to do? The dangers are real and the time in this life is gold. We need others to continue growing as much as we need to give to others to be happy. Let us meditate on what is important to us and seek to find a state of health in the psycho-affective area.

 

Set a goal. Design an activity that you would like to share with someone. Read a poem aloud under the shade of a tree or by Zoom to someone in need. Go out to visit ancient chapels, go on a picnic to a hot spring sanctuary, or dine at a venue with live jazz music.

 

Now in Mexico they say that the donkey was not surly but they make him so. Whenever you try new adventures double the security. In the practical sphere you should always consult experts of the field in question who have accumulated knowledge and can give you tips to prevent accidents and make your activity more efficient and enjoyable. In addition, it is worth mastering the new telecommunication tools not only to take classes or work meetings, but also in this new stage of life they are a great opportunity to strengthen your old family and social bonds. Who has not found an old schoolmate this way? Remember, it is important that you let your loved ones know when you meet someone new and if you are going on a date. Take calculated risks and fulfill your dreams! San Miguel de Allende is one of the most romantic places I know and I still don’t want to start talking about the rest of Mexico.

 

There are legends to chase throughout the state of Guanajuato and the municipality has corners with stories that go back to archaeological sites, featuring materials that attest to native cultures through their architecture that wait to reveal greater secrets through multidisciplinary and scientific work by researchers, such as the archaeological site of Cañada de la Virgen, a 15 minute drive from San Miguel.

 

This week I also dedicate this column to one of the tours offered by the Public Library of San Miguel, an adventure traveling with safe social distancing in the fields to learn about the culture of pulque, a ritual drink of prehispanic origin. Pulque is a fermented beverage that is extracted from the agave known as maguey. If you like nature and discovering the culture of each region, this tour is your chance.

 

Speaking of tours, do not miss the religious and civic architectural complex in Plaza Cívica. But if what you want is to travel via your computer, you can carry out a historical investigation through the innumerable open information sites. Not only will you have good topics of conversation but you will also learn about the philosophical passions and risky circumstances that historical personalities lived through. Many of the secret letters between the most influential philosophical minds and their continental travels in the years following 1600 AD are preserved in San Miguel. There are reports that reveal heated epistolary discussions about the ethical and theological concepts on which the new world would be founded, many of them housed in what was the first university in the Americas, the College of San Francisco de Sales next to the Temple of the Oratory and house of the same order.

 

Any pretext is good to reconnect with your loved ones or meet new people virtually for now. And also remember that not everything has to be virtual, when a short face-to-face meeting is required, let’s use the mask, safe distancing, and hand washing.

 

Last week I received a very pleasant letter from Mr. Jock, who thanked us for what we can contribute in this matter, he assures us that everything depends on a healthy diet and regular exercise. He promised to send me some of his best secrets to keep fit and happy at 84 years old. I will be very happy to read all your letters and comments.

 

Carmen Rioja is a Mexican artist who specializes in creative workshops and the restoration of archaeological materials. She likes to write stories or poems and throw them in imaginary bottles into the sea. Rioja has published the books La Muerte Niña and Rojo 43.