Ramon Ayala - Un Puño de Tierra
This is my song if I leave this earth...this is my life anthem al cien. I have lived the life of my dreams, along with my upbringing. Yes, it was hard to be a child of Mexican immigrants in a country where Mexicans weren’t really appreciated. Yet as I have reached adulthood, I realized it was us who carried the pride in our culture and never would I be ashamed of my humble upbringing. I miss all those who have gone on before me, they taught me so much and I am grateful.
I remain as a reminder that they existed, and they are worthy of remembering. Hopefully I can instill in the next generation the same love and passion for life that I have been passed on. I am a soul without owner as this song says, “I don’t need anything for me life is but a dream...I know that life is short and in the end I owe it. The day I die I will not take anything, let’s spice it up. Life quickly ends, what happens on this earth only the memory remains. Dead I will take only a fist of dirt”. Ain’t that the truth?
Growing up listening to these jams while the adults gathered drank up and celebrated life like it might be the end really made an impact. Life is way too short to know when it will be our last day on earth. Why hoard shit? Why work our life away to prove something to society? Let’s just enjoy the journey and be grateful for the dreams we do see come true. Don’t stop living like this might be our last day here on earth. Tomorow my baby girl turns 8, it’s so hard to believe how fast it has all been moving but I know that she has internalized so much greatness from not only my sister, tio, and abuela who have passed. She remembers them with so much love. I am grateful and so blessed!