Santa Fe

Tuesday, 13 April 2010 09:26

Santa Fe is a beautiful place in the world, and I have lived here for about 43 years. I am now part of the sidewalk, the Cathedral, the plaza, the Indian store. I am part of the madness of Cerrillos Road. We have a spiritual, diverse-dare I say, even a nutsy-segment of our population. It has grown, and "new" folks come with their vision of what this place is or should be. What it really is, however, is a place of very strong traditions. It is the city of faith. It is Spain, Mexico, the wild old west, the holy, mysterious Indian places familiar only to God and to them. We can't even look.

Guess I will live my life out here unless something unspeakable happens to my adopted, beloved U.S.A.. Where could one even go if everything gets weird? I don't know...maybe Australia?

I'm always happy to talk about this town. When I first moved here a man named Reyes Lopez Tijerina had just captured the court house in Rio Arriba County (http://www.judybaca.com/dia/text/tijerina.html). It was a big deal involving Spanish land grants and the American government. I don't know. The newspaper made it seem that Mr. Tijerina and his followers would take Santa Fe next. I really didn't understand it then; just thought I may have made a big mistake, but didn't have enough money to go elsewhere, and I already had grown fond of the plaza, my job at the Original Curio Store on San Francisco Street, and a few folks who had become my small world in a 60's world of wanderers.

Love to tell people about Santa Fe! What a place!