Living in Puerto Rico… and forgetting about it

I was born and raised in Puerto Rico. I’ve lived here most of my life. I know that as children, us puertorricans have visited most of our major landmarks: El Morro, El Viejo San Juan, El Castillo Serralles, El Yunque, so forth and so on. But as we get older, some of us may say “once you’ve seen it once, you’ve seen it twice, why bother visiting again?” So, we no longer care if we ever see it again.  But there is so much that we have yet to learn about this little piece of paradise.



Only if we get a visit from a friend or relative from stateside, it is that we actually get to feel proud and say “let me show you my island… let me tell you about its history and about how great we puertorricans are”. But let truth be told… many times we don’t remember how great we are.

These days we are known for Ricky Martin, and Jennifer Lopez among others. They are our current ambassadors and do they really tell the world about the greatness of who we are?  Don't get me wrong. I celebrate their accomplishments and their gift to society as a whole.  But they tell only one side of the story.

We carry the flags in our cars, in stickers and even tattoos. Yes tattoos; these range from flags, to maps, to even Taino symbols. Yet… do we really know what these represent? Do we know who we are? Where we come from? What we have done?

Don’t get me wrong… this is not a lecture. I’m not claiming that I know these things. To be honest... I don’t.  I may just be projecting myself onto some of you, just because I know that you are out there.

It’s not that all of the sudden I have this urge for feeling puertorrican all over again.  It’s not that all of the sudden I’m this patriotic being that wants to make up for his lack of knowledge.  It’s just that lately I’ve realized that there is a lot that I’ve missed out. Why??? ...Because like many of you I got lost in the daily bustle and hustle.  In being a parent, a provider and a professional in an uncertain world, which is driven by politics and economical interests.

My idea of a vacation was leaving the island and going to Disney World or a Cruise Ship, just so I could see, guess what? …other islands in the Caribbean. What an idiot!  My island has always been right here. It has so much, and yet, I don’t know it.

Well... that’s all about to change.  I will get to visit my own homeland more often, and as I do, I will share with you what I’ve learned. It’s going to be a lengthy process, so don’t rush me :) We still have to work.  We still have to make enough money and time to make it happen.

So you may wonder “why, if he is talking to his fellow puertorrican readers, is he writing in English?” Good question! This is not just for my fellow Boricuas… this is also for those who want to learn more about the Island that I love, the Island that I have forgotten.

As I embark on this journey… I would like to invite you to come with me if you feel you are on the same boat, or in the case that you are further ahead in your travels; share it with the rest of us.  I’m pretty sure that some of us don’t just want to be told ....We want to see it too.

Thanks, and see you around,
Charlie