Cartas al Editor Atención San Miguel

I am trying to, as they used to say, wrap my mind around the message of the full-page paid advertisement called STOP ALL THIS CHANGE that appeared in your issue of Dec. 29. So, let me see ... I do agree that we need to stop all this change. It appears that the author, Mr. Charles Weiss, is attempting to be ironic, and I will reply to that. But first, I would like to supply some information. There is no “new” Gigante. Yep, that’s the sad truth. It’s like this: The old Gigante moved into a new building! That’s what happened! Just breathe in the familiar sent of old codfish near the entrance and “follow your nose” to the same old, same old. You will find yourself in the same unwelcoming presence of your old friend Gigante. Yes, there is the same brown-edged lettuce and lots of your old favorites.

It may be somewhat amusing to make fun of the people here, Mexicans and foreigners alike, who feel that it is vital to maintain the integrity of this colonial town. I don’t find it particularly amusing to pretend that we (I include myself) feel that the old Gigante and Pollo Feliz are the “old San Miguel.” That is ridiculous and fatuous. Is it possible that we could accept a historical downtown and the rest of San Miguel can go to hell? It is too late for that. Subway just appeared, and for everyone’s information, Wal-Mart has all their papers signed, sealed, and delivered. Did they do all their paperwork in San Miguel? Why, no. If they had, then everyone would know. But they will know soon and can watch the emergence, as if by magic, of a Wal-Mart in our own town soon. And what will this do to help San Miguel prosper and grow? If you have ever lived in a town that received the blessing of a Wal-Mart store, then you know how fast the original stores that held your town together went out of business one by on
e. This has happened everywhere a Wal-Mart has appeared. But maybe that's ok, too. Mega Comercial, Wal-Mart, Suburbia soon to follow, will have us pining for the old San Miguel of yesterday, codfish and all.

Bob Freeman