Fuerza México
I made this illustration 2 days after the earthquake of September 19, 2017 in México City. The following text was written a week after that...
I’ve become someone new since that day. Not sure if someone better or worse.
Definitely someone more scared, more cautious, more thankful to be breathing right now. In a matter of minutes my own existence took hold of itself. A tight grasp, warm, awakening but almost choking.
Everything is more real. Everything is more ephemeral. Everything is more. Happiness is happier. Fear is scarier. Beer is tastier. Food is more delicious. Rage is angrier. Love is more endearing. Unconformity is more vibrant. Patriotism is consolidated.
I love my country and I hate it at the same time. People have lost their lives, their homes, their sense of safety under their own roof. We are scared of closing our eyes. Scared of closing our doors. We are scared of using headphones on both ears. We fear car alarms, crowded spaces, cracks on the wall, and walking next to a tall building.
We don’t trust the government, we don’t trust the night, we don’t trust our instincts: will I be fast enough if the alarm goes off? Will my friends make it? Will I survive under tons of rubble for days? Will they find my body? Yet... I had never been so proud. We witnessed the might of nature itself. The earth shook beneath our feet, toppled our monuments and we, without hesitation, planted ourselves firmly on the ground and, like Sirio Forel, we faced death and said “not today”. This journey has merely begun. We must not lose sight of the values that surfaced. Let the losses not be in vain, we owe those who are not among us at least that. If you want to help those in need or those who help them, consider these links: http://howtohelp.mx/donate/ https://donate.omaze.com/mexico
