Shoes, Purses, and Anything and Everything Else

The rays of the sun beamed down on my face, waking me up. I had to lay quietly to gather my bearings, thoughts, and goals. I booked my room for 10 days. I figured that would give me enough time to accomplish all the things I wanted to accomplish. After gathering my thoughts it was time for me to get up and get my day started. What better way to start than with breakfast? The hotel provides a free breakfast. So I got showered and headed downstairs.

The breakfast setup was like any other, just a lot more of it. It included your morning Mexican breakfast favorites various fruits, bread, and cereals. And my favorite, coffee. I grabbed a tray picked up some fruit, muffins, and coffee, and had a seat. It felt good to eat something I could taste.

Several minutes had passed when one of the hosts came and started speaking Spanish. I couldn’t quite make out what she was asking me, but I do know she asked me for my room number and I complied by giving it to her. She started talking again and of course, I didn’t understand what she was asking. She politely pointed and came back with one of the managers. The manager stated that I had to pay for my meal. I explained that I was a Hilton Member and my breakfast was included. He insisted that it wasn’t. So I told him I would take it up with the hotel manager when I finished breakfast.

I walked up to the front desk and asked to speak to the manager, who I had met last night while I was having my hamburger for dinner. I informed him that I was a Member of Hilton and made my reservation through Booking dot com. He pulled up the booking and showed me breakfast wasn’t included. At this point I was livid, And to add insult to injury I wasn’t going to get my points for my ten-day stay. He told me this breakfast would be on the house. But I had to pay for the other days. But being me I decided I would have breakfast at some other place in the future and deal with Hilton and Booking dot Com Corporate Offices later. But today I wanted to enjoy this day. No business just me enjoying this place called Leon Mexico.

Leon is world-renowned for its leather shoes. So I decided to take the bus to the shoe district. I had the paso thing down. As long as I could understand what they were saying. The fair was something like 13 Paso 1.25 USD. On the larger streets, the buses ride down the center of the streets. The bus stations are platforms that go in both directions. The number and the destination are on the front and side of the electronic display. They seem to be always crowded so sitting down was not going to happen. No air conditioning just open windows.

I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived. All I could smell was leather It was all up in the air. The streets were smaller and more condensed. There was a strange vibe in the air. If felt very familiar to me. I couldn’t place my figure on it. I took my time looking in each store, looking at it products. I looked at sneakers that I’d never seen before anywhere.

I was a kid in Sneaker Land and wanted to buy a pair of every sneaker I saw. The products were almost endless. Backpacks, carry-on bags, luggage, Handbags and so much more. I was so ready to buy something, anything and everything. But the reality of my situation was I had already overpacked, and my bags were heavy. And that’s not good when you’re walking a mile in these international Airports.

I didn’t bring my camera with me. I get a little protective of myself when going out alone doing a photoshoot, I guess living in the hood has made me a bit cautious, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. It has proven to keep me safe and well-grounded. The market reminded me of Canal Street in NYC. Narrow streets, everything and everyone close together, and products everywhere.

I couldn’t help but reflect on how I got here. Were the words I used when manifesting, my positive thinking, was it the emotional feeling of gratitude and thankfulness or was is a combination of it all? Whatever it was I wanted to remember it, all of it so I could repeat it again and again. I remember growing up people telling me what I could and could not do. In my mind I would say how do you know this, you don’t know me. You have no idea what I am capable of doing or achieving.

As I matured, I learned that people say these things to mask the disappointment of their own failures and shortcomings. The more you destroy someone else’s dreams the better you feel about your failures, after all the more people fail at something the more you believe it wasn’t meant to be.

I learned very quickly to keep my thoughts and dreams to myself, that way no one can block them or give you a reason to doubt them. Words are very powerful. Their effects are instant. I used to think that people would be in a dark room casting spells. But the truth is people don’t need a dark room. Words are the magic and can be used at any time and any place.

One forgets that Mexicans were cowboys (Vaqueros). So it was no surprise to see saddles, boots, hats, belts, and other gear. I would see people buy boxes of products, and the first thing that came to my mind they were buying these items to resell. If I had a store I would definitely be coming here once a month to restock and introduce new inventory. Who knows that might be a future endeavor.

There was one surprising thing in general, when you go into a store you better bring your own bag(s). Plastic bags are not easy to come by. You will be carrying things in your hands. And there are Farmcia’s all over the place that don’t provide bags. Now I understand why everyone carries some sort of bag or backpack.

I saw garments by designers, I’ve never seen in the States. I wanted to walk up to a couple of people, and ask “Where did they get that”. Leon is the 5th largest city in Mexico. So if you want to take a trip off the beaten path I do recommend checking it out. Brush up on your Spanish.

I didn’t expect to see many people like me, after all Leon is not one of the places people come to visit. There are no beaches nearby and it not very much tourism from other English-speaking countries. I did notice other Spanish-speaking people from other countries like Spain, Portugal, and various countries in South American. But I didn’t see many people like me. I kind of enjoyed the invisibility that I had. Not overdressed so people didn’t look at me too hard. Having some Latin features didn’t make me stick out too much. I looked as if I fit in, and I felt like I belonged. Yea, strange I know.

After all of the window shopping was done, I decided to walk back to the hotel. It was about a mile or two away. I love to walk. It brings me such peace. And it allows me to get into my thoughts. I also like to people-watch. I wonder what the world would be like if the Atlantic Slave Trade never existed. It brought nothing but pain and sorrow. It has caused communities to be dismantled and lose their authenticity. It has forced people to take on its captures’ beliefs, lifestyles, and habits. Losing ourselves to survive. There are almost no more stories about one heritage, family lineage, or customs. Our bloodlines have been diluted and destroyed.

Walking back to the hotel gave me more questions than answers. Now that I am here, what next? What am I looking for, what do I hope to find? Will I recognize it when I see it or feel it?

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