One more year has transpired and no doubt it had its ups and downs. The angels in you have led you on the right path. Now the question is, “Have you thanked God for all his goodness to you? This is the good time to thank and glorify God for his favors unto you.
I can thank God for health and happiness. I can thank him for all the fine students and friends I enjoyed. I thank Him for a wonderful family. I can thank God for allowing me to achieve a long time dream for San Pedro High-The Auditorium. I thank God for allowing me to walk one more time and I thank him for all the happiness he has brought to me and will continue to bring. Glory to God in the Highest! Thank you. Now take a moment to thank your Lord and Creator. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE.
25th of December 25 Years Ago
It is 8 a.m., December 25, 1960, one year before Hurricane Hattie. That day are no boats sailing to the fish traps because it is Christmas day and the fishermen are dog tired. This time they are not tired of working at sea but of dancing. The night before they had been dancing from 8 p.m. to 4 a.m. and would still be dancing except for a fist fight that broke out between two fishermen who were arguing about who could dive deeper.
That morning San Pedro wakes up to the gun shots of Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and John Wayne who were shooting a bunch of Indians that are running about and hiding with their bow and arrows. Depending on the social and financial status of the children, some of them have silver pistols with pop shot. Others have small rifles that can fire pieces of cork. And still some have small guns that only make a little sound.
And finally there are some kids who boast plastic guns that fire squirts of water. And believe it or not some kids have little wooden guns fabricated by dad and they have to make all the gun noises by mouth. Needless to say, the boys are having one whale of a Christmas day.
The girls are playing with dolls of all sizes from six inch ones to 20 inches tall. Some are boasting that their dolls can walk while others are arguing that theirs can close their eyes or wet their diapers. One thing is certain and it is that all girls have a kitchen set which include teacups, plates and saucers, stoves and frying pans. They are playing mom and cooking sand, leaves and anything that makes them feel like mom.
At eleven in the morning the men are finally up from the previous night’s dance at Daddy’s Club. With red eyes and an awful breath, they are ready for the day’s events. They all show up at a friend’s house who is expected to offer them baked ham, chicken relleno, light cake pronounced liecake, and of course mucho mucho rum.
There is also some pop called lemonade for any children or women who showed up. All day long they sing and play guitars and even accordion at a few fortunate homes. This party ends when there is no more rum or the male host is too drunk to stand up straight, or the wife politely asks them to leave because she needs some rest. However they are not ready to go home. They hit another home and the party continues until the guests have dwindled to a mere handful.
By seven p.m. the ladies and wives are all dressed up and ready for the second night’s dance. They are all dressed up in their best attire and praying that their spouses or boyfriends are not too drunk and can still stand up. The wives whose husbands were too drunk have an early night’s rest for a woman does not dare go to a dance without her. husband. Accordion music and jump up takes them to midnight but the musicians are too tired and the last piece is played. The guitarist is lying on the floor with his guitar as his pillow. Now the kerosene lamps are turned off and darkness takes over the entire village 25 years ago. All the fun and glitter is over and the villagers must wait until March of the next year for the Carnival festivities. But for a fiesta of this magnitude, it would another full year of waiting.
– by Angel Nuñez, Columnist
