Puerto Rico : A Political and
Cultural History
by Arturo Morales Carrion
Art of Pleasing
Others Oh, I've gotten Hell on
Earth for voicing my opinion here and there... Sometimes I feel like I need to buy me a
shotgun and shoot the computer, printer, modem, et al ...and just go back a
notepad and a pencil. But you know, I can't live by myself, I'm too gregarious
to not even have a dog that I could boss around... "Mira, apéate del sofá,
sato asqueroso..."
Consequently, I compromise... I go to my psychiatrist who teaches me the two
arts: the art of conquering misanthropy (no offense) and the art of fitting into
my environment. I don't like it!!! ... my
neighbors, they all wanna lock me up. So what do I do? Compromise! That's what I
do, yes sir! Compromise is a concept of finding agreement through communication,
through a mutual acceptance of terms… yada yada —often involving variations from
an original goal or desire… blah blah... and BLAH!
Ricky Nelson said: "learn my lesson well, you can't please everyone, so you
gotta please yourself. That' still will bring me a helluva controversy.
Thus, I spin a bedtime story…
ack
in the early 1900s in the town of Toa Alta in Puerto Rico, a
farmer and his daughter were driving their donkey to the
town's square to sell him. They had not gone far when they
met with a troop of women collected around a colmadito,
talking and laughing.
“Look there,” cried one of them, “did you ever see such
Jíbaros, to be trucking along the road on foot when they
might ride?’ The old man hearing this, quickly made his
daughter mount the donkey, and continued to walk along
merrily by his side. Presently they came up to a group of
old men in earnest chat.
“There,” said one of them, “it proves what I was a-saying.
What respect is shown to old age in these days? Do you see
that idle "muchacha" riding while his old father has to
walk? Get down, you young "manganzona", and let the old
Jíbaro rest his tired legs.” Upon this the old man made his
daughter dismount, and got up himself. In this manner they
had not gone too far when they met another company of women
and children:
“Why, you lazy old Jíbaro,” cried several tongues at once,
“how can you ride upon the beast, while that poor little
"muchachita" there can hardly keep pace by the side of you?’
The good-natured farmer immediately took up his daughter
behind him. They had now almost reached the town.
“Pray, honest friend,” said another citizen, “is that donkey
yours?’ “Yes,” replied the old Jíbaro. “Ay Bendito, one
would not have thought so,” said the other, “by the way you
load him. Why, you two are better able to carry the poor
beast than he you.” “Anything to please you,” said the old
Jíbaro; “we can but try.”
So, alighting with his daughter, they tied the legs of the
donkey together and with the help of a pole endeavored to
carry him on their shoulders over a bridge near the entrance
to the town.
This entertaining sight brought the people in crowds to
laugh at it, till the donkey, not liking the noise nor the
strange handling that he was subject to, broke the cords
that bound him and, tumbling off the pole, fell into the
river. Upon this, the old man, vexed and ashamed, made the
best of his way home again, convinced that by endeavoring to
please everybody he had pleased nobody, and lost his Ass in
the bargain.
LESSON: When you try to
please everyone...
you might lose your ass in the bargain...
so don't even try.
Oh, I've gotten Hell on
Earth for voicing my opinion here and there... Sometimes I feel like I need to buy me a
shotgun and shoot the computer, printer, modem, et al ...and just go back a
notepad and a pencil. But you know, I can't live by myself, I'm too gregarious
to not even have a dog that I could boss around... "Mira, apéate del sofá,
sato asqueroso..."
ack
in the early 1900s in the town of Toa Alta in Puerto Rico, a
farmer and his daughter were driving their donkey to the
town's square to sell him. They had not gone far when they
met with a troop of women collected around a colmadito,
talking and laughing.
