I live in rural Mexico, exact location not disclosed because of other postings on this URL in reference to property once owned by Emperor Moctezuma, heh, heh.
I happen to like the Mexican people. A lot. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.
I have several hobbies of totally different sorts.
One is connecting Mexicans living far away with their families still in my area. I have no idea of their paperwork status, nor is it my job to ask. If I were in the US, it might be different.
But, there are people from my area who have been in the US for up to 18 years with no pictures going either way. Often the old folks living here do not have good cameras and pictures here cost up to $1 USD for one, 4X6.
I make contact on a Spanish URL with a forum for each community in Mexico. When people ask, I go to their families, and take pictures, which I then send as an attachment on an e-mail.
And, usually, the folks in the US take pictures and send them via e-mail to me. When I get them, I wait until my next trip into a nearby city, and print them, then give them to the family. Charity out here is very offensive. But, people do not view photos as charity, yet they are such an excellent gift, especially when family has long been separated by distance and borders.
My first case was a woman living in LA. She has an extremely disabled son, and so has been unable to come for a visit, for nearly 20 years, 18 at the time I took the pictures. Her mother lives in what most of you would view as extreme poverty, is old, but still can walk.
I sent the pictures of her to a daughter who must have been very emotional when she saw her first photo in 18 years. She then sent me photos of her own kids and grandkids, which I eventually gave to grandma.
Another case was 3 brothers who work in Wisconsin, and have not been back in over 15 years. They have a 15 year old brother. I found the family here, and the dad was just like my dad. He is a farmer, and wanted a picture of each cow; each bull; each horse; each mule; and each burro. I sent them all. A mutual friend said those men were extremely emotional when they first got to see what their brother looked like. And, it turned out the father was a friend of my wife's back in primary school, though for some reason she can't remember him at all, poor man. In this case, I don't think they sent me pictures. They may be doing it by snail mail.
A woman in Florida who had not been back in 13 years or so, asked for picture of her uncle and family in a town not far away. I went and took them, and sent them by e-mail. She sent me pictures of her family, and I passed them on after my next trip to the city.
Some weeks later, she said her kids had come for a visit, and invited me to a birthday party for the eldest girl. I went, and took pictures of those at the party, and sent them on. I loved those kids. The boy is a typical video games addict. The eldest girl is a perfect, little lady, and the youngest girl is a firecracker to say the least.
This last summer, it happened again, except the boy did not want to come.
I had a long talk in English with the girls, who told me a lot about their mother's life, how she never knew her dad, and how her mother had died. I don't know why, but obviously they trusted me.
I took and sent the pictures again.
Out of the blue, the mother asked me if I would be her dad. I am very paternal, and told her, sure, if it didn't cost me anything.
My view is there are not enough daughters in the world.
She is in her 30's, and from infancy has felt gypped by not knowing her own father. So, we communicate by e-mail, and talk father-daughter stuff. I expect when I visit my son in Jupiter, Florida in a year or two, I will swing up and see her.
This is not the first time I have "adopted" someone as daughter or niece or grand-daughter.
All from the photos. I know a lot of really nice people in small villages around here. And, once when I was looking for someone, I encountered a woman alone in the fields. And, she did not show the usual fear women alone show here. My theory is, since I am the only North American in 750 square miles, she knew who I was when she saw me. The man who takes pictures for free.
The farmers here are almost exactly like the farmers when I was a farm kid in the 50's. Except they speak a different language, and use mules or burros instead of tractors. But, the attitudes are the same. When I talk to them, I feel like I am back in my youth again.
I happen to like the Mexican people. A lot. It's not for everyone, but it works for me.
I have several hobbies of totally different sorts.
One is connecting Mexicans living far away with their families still in my area. I have no idea of their paperwork status, nor is it my job to ask. If I were in the US, it might be different.
But, there are people from my area who have been in the US for up to 18 years with no pictures going either way. Often the old folks living here do not have good cameras and pictures here cost up to $1 USD for one, 4X6.
I make contact on a Spanish URL with a forum for each community in Mexico. When people ask, I go to their families, and take pictures, which I then send as an attachment on an e-mail.
And, usually, the folks in the US take pictures and send them via e-mail to me. When I get them, I wait until my next trip into a nearby city, and print them, then give them to the family. Charity out here is very offensive. But, people do not view photos as charity, yet they are such an excellent gift, especially when family has long been separated by distance and borders.
My first case was a woman living in LA. She has an extremely disabled son, and so has been unable to come for a visit, for nearly 20 years, 18 at the time I took the pictures. Her mother lives in what most of you would view as extreme poverty, is old, but still can walk.
I sent the pictures of her to a daughter who must have been very emotional when she saw her first photo in 18 years. She then sent me photos of her own kids and grandkids, which I eventually gave to grandma.
Another case was 3 brothers who work in Wisconsin, and have not been back in over 15 years. They have a 15 year old brother. I found the family here, and the dad was just like my dad. He is a farmer, and wanted a picture of each cow; each bull; each horse; each mule; and each burro. I sent them all. A mutual friend said those men were extremely emotional when they first got to see what their brother looked like. And, it turned out the father was a friend of my wife's back in primary school, though for some reason she can't remember him at all, poor man. In this case, I don't think they sent me pictures. They may be doing it by snail mail.
A woman in Florida who had not been back in 13 years or so, asked for picture of her uncle and family in a town not far away. I went and took them, and sent them by e-mail. She sent me pictures of her family, and I passed them on after my next trip to the city.
Some weeks later, she said her kids had come for a visit, and invited me to a birthday party for the eldest girl. I went, and took pictures of those at the party, and sent them on. I loved those kids. The boy is a typical video games addict. The eldest girl is a perfect, little lady, and the youngest girl is a firecracker to say the least.
This last summer, it happened again, except the boy did not want to come.
I had a long talk in English with the girls, who told me a lot about their mother's life, how she never knew her dad, and how her mother had died. I don't know why, but obviously they trusted me.
I took and sent the pictures again.
Out of the blue, the mother asked me if I would be her dad. I am very paternal, and told her, sure, if it didn't cost me anything.
My view is there are not enough daughters in the world.She is in her 30's, and from infancy has felt gypped by not knowing her own father. So, we communicate by e-mail, and talk father-daughter stuff. I expect when I visit my son in Jupiter, Florida in a year or two, I will swing up and see her.
This is not the first time I have "adopted" someone as daughter or niece or grand-daughter.
All from the photos. I know a lot of really nice people in small villages around here. And, once when I was looking for someone, I encountered a woman alone in the fields. And, she did not show the usual fear women alone show here. My theory is, since I am the only North American in 750 square miles, she knew who I was when she saw me. The man who takes pictures for free.
The farmers here are almost exactly like the farmers when I was a farm kid in the 50's. Except they speak a different language, and use mules or burros instead of tractors. But, the attitudes are the same. When I talk to them, I feel like I am back in my youth again.
