First Sanpedrana Nurse
There is always a little spice of curiosity in knowing who the first one was as I am sure all of you remember who the first one was to give you your first kiss. So we wonder who was the first local airplane pilot, the first gift shop, first dive shop, first hotel etc. And […]
Your Peace in Paradise
A peaceful person does more good than a knowledgeable one I meet people who come to San Pedro searching for peace, daily. They are looking for the perfect place, “their slice of paradise”. But is peace in paradise? They’re searching for a place that can’t be found outside them. Peace is within. It is the […]
Easter – An Entire Village Hotel
Back in the 1950’s, the Easter festivities were a big deal in San Pedro. Even though there were no hotels during those days, the entire village was turned into a hotel to accommodate the hundreds of friends/visitors from Belize City, Cayo, Orange Walk and Corozal Town. Here is how it went. San Pedro was “The […]
Stop Emotional Eating!
Be careful of the words you say, keep them soft and sweet; You never know from day to day which ones you’ll have to eat. – unknown Are you trying to lose weight and you are exercising and still can’t take the pounds off? Do you find it hard to stop eating? Do you eat […]
60 Minutes Of Earth Hour
In the first part of the 20th century, from 1900 to about 1960, we observed 12 hours of earth hour, not voluntarily, but by force. Nobody flicked off the switch because there were no switches, no power generators, and no electricity. Of course, life was so different in those days. While today it might seem […]
Faith & Security
Faith is the light that guides you through the darkness. The only real security is faith. There are times in life when you must have enough faith to let go and stop attempting to manipulate your circumstances. Don’t resist what is. Surrender and have faith that there is a reason for what you are experiencing. […]
Our Living Kite
Yeah, that’s right, while it was every household’s custom to raise chickens and ducks to some extent, the children of twenty five years ago had other more interesting things to do, at least in the area of fun. Catching a hen or rooster was only fun when the hen was stubborn and insisted in flying […]
Build Emotional Strength
“Blessed are the flexible for there will not be bent out of shape.” -Unknown Emotional strength pertains to your level of resiliency, flexibility and your beliefs. It is important to remember that your emotions do not comprise all of you. Your feelings are not the center of you. For instance, a friend of mine is […]
Cockadoodle Doo
Lately I have been hearing a rooster crowing early in the morning in the San Pablo area where I live. And last week while listening to Love FM early morning show, I heard the crow of a cock via the telephone as a country caller talked into the show. And I remembered how twenty five […]
Change Your Thinking Change your Life
The quality of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts. We have all experienced overcoming fear. For example most kids can ride a bike; but when you first started your fear of falling conspired to stop you. Your thoughts of how it’s possible to stay upright on two wheels, peddle your feet, turn […]
Tracing the History of Music
I have an autographed copy of Danny Vasquez’s book in which he writes of his life in San Pedro. An avid musician himself, guitarist and later saxophonist, he deals with the art that cuts across language, religion, race and social barriers- and that is music. The first band Danny remembers in San Pedro was directed […]
The Human Factor
“The greatest mistake is to be afraid of making one.” One of the attributes of being a person is to know that it’s all right to be human. To be the greatest achiever of all time is to be a fine human being. This means at some time or another one must err. Making a […]
The Bishop Welcomed like a Rockstar
Way back I history, priests visited San Pedro Village once in a while, and a bishop only came for confirmation every five years or so. The visit of the Catholic bishop usually coincided with the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul. In 1925 a young and vibrant Sanpedrano, Danny Vasquez, remembers organizing a grand […]
Kindness Pays Off
“All your words and actions define the world you want to live in.” “Don’t do things you wouldn’t want to have done to you.” Even though this column is called secrets to life, most of what I write is not a secret. Many of these thoughts are common observations that I share with you so […]
The First Bars
Someone asked: “Did bars come to San Pedro before the Banks?” Before I answer this question I want to say that the bars of yester years operated under tighter regulations than today and certainly did not include some of these activities that I hear we have today like destroying the tables, monkey climbing on a […]
Do Your Best!
After learning and studying, sometimes it’s necessary to forget it all to find a solution. A while ago I found a key on my key ring that I didn’t know which door it opened. I couldn’t remember what lock it was for, but afraid to throw it away, having to regret it later. Did you […]
Beginning Of Banking
I guess that the presence of so many banks in San Pedro speaks of the booming economy of the Island. So does that mean that when there was only one bank, the economy was very bad? Not really. You have to start with one, right? Some parts of this story will really make you nostalgic […]
The First Machine
I hold you proudYou move with me We are finite & infinite Energy, liquid, solid matter You are I, am I you? My ordinary body Physical world glorified Taste & touch Preach your beauty Continually You form me Your body is the first machine. The fuel you use is chemistry that converts to energy. Thoughts, […]
The Love that Counts
No matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love. – Emmanuel Love Fire In life of all the things considered Tis love I found to be admired Since time I cannot hold still Wealth and power leaves at will One’s heart I know for sure Can hold a […]
Old Was Stronger
I have many examples to prove that “Older was Better” but I am not going to talk about computers, cameras, I pods, cell phones, fax machines, printers nor stereo systems because I don’t have a chance to prove this point. But I guess I can on a few topics. Take a look at some latest […]
Thriving in Crisis
Prosperity is attitude and behavior non reliant of economic situations– Emmanuel You don’t have to look far to hear about crisis today. It’s all around us and all over the world news – relationships falling apart, people losing jobs, homes, life savings, health decline resulting from a stressful economy. Market crashes have left many investors […]
Communicating The Island Way
What do these have in common- post cards, wedding invitations, newspapers, radio, television, computers, telephones, and chalkboards and smoke? They are all forms of communication, right? Well, you might not readily conceive how smoke is a form of communication, but do you remember the smoke signals sent by Indians? Okay, now you’ve got it. This […]
Hard Work Built San Pedro
I used to like politics when it was all about service. Sad to say, I feel that today for many people it is all about what one can get and how one can get more. This is not a criticism of anyone, but a comparison of today with the politics of yesterday when village councilors […]
Raising Pigs For The Dinner Table
In my book “Twenty Five Years Ago” I spoke about chores that children had to do early morning before going to school and repeat it at the end of the day. Here is how it happened and why. “Angel, this is your week to feed the pig,” said my father. “Your brother’s job will be […]
Fresh Water In The Caribbean Sea? More Strange Happenings.
A few weeks ago, I started on a strange phenomenon, a floating conch, which is not a fable but a really strange happening. And there are more. How many of you have swum in the Caribbean Sea? It is really salty, right? Now tell me if you have ever been swimming and encounter a batch […]