A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. Marcus Garvey
The walkabout refers to a rite of passage during which Australian Aborigines would undergo a journey and live in the wilderness for a period as long as six months. In this practice they would trace the paths, or "songlines", that their ancestors took, and imitate, in a fashion, their heroic deeds; a short period of wandering bush life engage in by an Australian Aborigine as an occasional interruption of regular work.
So, I call the rideabout, the rite of a biker to undergo a journey and ride his/her motorcycle, either to trace the path of the ancestors, or with the help of nature, freedom, solitude and sound of the machine go back to your inner-self and enjoy the brightness of your soul.
As the quote cited above, when you don't know your history, origin and culture you're like a tree without roots, and you can fall with any wind blowing. I chose to do this rideabout to trace the path of my ancestors, the Mexican family of my Grandfather, and the Hispanic family (and perhaps the native american from the Pueblo Indian Nation) of my Grandmother which was already living in the area that became the territory of New Mexico (both from my father's side).
When anyone understands the dificulties of a Mother (my great-grandmother) to flee from the Mexican revolution around 1915, with her four children from 6 to one year old, the harsh living in a country with other language, in an area where the segregation it wasn't exclusive against the black people but also the dark skin Mexican, the pressure from the Ku Klux Klan, the economical problems created by the Great Depresion of 1930's (my father was born in 1928 in Cheyenne, Wyoming), and the racist segregation from the Governor of Colorado with the expulsion from the State of almost all Mexican and Hispanic workers around 1937 (my family was settled in Greeley CO since 1916).
Then this rideabout is to revisit the border crossing of my great-grandmother, my young grandfather, through El Paso, Texas, their travel and settle in Greeley CO, my grandmother and her family moving to that same place looking for a better life, and all the little details around those travels.
I have chosen the English language because most of my Mexican friends read it and understand it, and some of my American friends only understand the bad words and the survival Spanish for getting a beer, tequila and lemon, and tacos. And besides now I have reclaimed the rights of my American born father and have been adopted by this immigration melting pot country and for giving my daugther the roots she need to have and resist the blowing of the wind.
This posting was supposed to be the first of the #Rideabout, but it came to be the second. On the way to El Paso, TX, there is Marfa and Alpine and a place you can see some kind of lights at night, some say UFO lights, ghosts, Saint Elmos fire, etc., tonight I'm going and hope to take video or pictures to show you later.
Have a great day, and I'll see you tomorrow in El Paso.
RP
