By Angel Nuñez
There is an exhibition at Disney World called, “It’s a Small World” but I am referring to our real world. It is indeed quite large counting with a population of 7.043 billion people (7,043,000,000). However, chances are that if you travel to Belize City, Chetumal, Guatemala, Costa Rica, USA, Canada, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, China and India, you will meet some family member or friend or business acquaintance, thus making this world a small world in that sense.
I will relate one simple example of interest as I am sure you have similar situations. Through my writings of this column, I was reunited with my long time friend, Mrs. Mila Phillips, who has roots in San Pedro and lives in Belize City. Mila is a great poet and story teller and best of all a wonderful friend. Her dad is Mr. Nestor Vasquez whom I knew as a child and he was brother of one of my most interesting friends, Mr. Danny Vasquez. Danny lived in San Pedro once and became San Pedro’s first village council chairman. I met Danny when I was about 16 as he was my father’s good friend and he learned that I was trying to play the saxophone, so Danny came over and gave me some good lessons which helped me learn this musical instrument.
Mrs. Mila Phillips
Then I learned from Mila Phillips that she used to take care of me as a baby. Now through my writings, I am in full communication with Mila’s sister, Ruby Vasquez, who lives in Chicago. However I had known Ruby and her sister Luz from my high school days when they lived on Barracks Road in Belize City. They had a brother named Hugo Vasquez who used to play the guitar with a children’s band named The Bumble Bees. Later on Hugo played with the popular Belize City band, Los Beliceños. He was a star in his days. They are all related to Net Vasquez the Big Shot at BTL and he has been our family friend since the 1950’s. My dad used to take him out fishing when he came to San Pedro for his vacations, and we stayed at his house on Albert Street whenever we went to the city. It is a small world, right? Net is a wonderful person and friend.
But that is not the end of this. Now that I am a friend again of Ruby Vasquez of Chicago, she is asking me to say hello to her cousins in San Pedro- Yolanda Muñoz, Estella, Gonzalo and Reynaldo Muñoz, who are related to her through her great grandfather. Goodness, Yoli and Estella are two of my dearest friends. Another teenage friend of mine, Teresita Sanchez of Belize City, now living in Chicago is asking me about Estella Muñoz whom she also knew in the City during the 1960’s. Teresita is also friends with my teenage friend and cousin Celina Nuñez Pacheco who now lives in California and who has a sister in Canada, Rose Nuñez Chiu. What a small world, right? And all of this thanks to modern technology- the internet.
Newspaper Clip of Anastasio Muñoz in an advertisement of Ross Pills In the Year 1923
Back to Ruby Vasquez. Now she has introduced me to her great grandfather, Anastasio Muñoz who has roots in San Pedro and has many descendants still living among us, like Yoli and Estella and many relatives. All we can say is that through the internet we are able to connect with friends of twenty five years ago which has made our world a small world indeed.
25 Years Ago Books Can Be Purchased At:
-Ambergris Today -Lala’s Store -Chico’s Meat Shop -Pampered Paws -Ambergris Jade -San Pedro BTB Office -Aquarius Salon (Kim) -S.P. Town Library -Di Bush –Richie’s Stationery -San Pedrano’s Stationery -Rum, Coffee & Cigar House
Contact the Author at: nunez_nest@yahoo.com
