Dear Laredo

March 28, 2012

Dear Laredo,

I owe you an apology.  I judged you before I knew you.  I declared you guilty by association.

I was taught this lesson once before.  Juan was a large, scary, do-ragged, scraggly bearded man I would have avoided on a dark street.  He would have given me the shirt off of his heavily tattooed back had I asked.  He proved to me that you cannot judge a book by its cover.

San Agustin de Laredo established 1755

But some lessons need repeating and I appreciate your willingness to remind me of one of my numerous failings.

I have found your streets generally clean, your shops and restaurants plentiful, your people lovely and engaging. 

General Ignacio Zaragoza - the father of Cinco de Mayo. A Mexican general, his army defeated Napoleon's troops on May 5, 1862. For those of you wondering why his statue stands in Texas? He was born in what is now Goliad, Texas.

In fact, if it weren’t for that little issue of another country looking over my shoulder, I could mistake you for the town I live in, or 100 other towns I have been to. 

Look, that's Mexico right there.  If I had a passport, I could walk over there.  I wouldn't, but I could.

Laredo, I find you significantly less armpitty than your neighbor down the way.  Even though you have some rough edges, who doesn’t?  Certainly my elbows get a little scabby at times.

Please don't park here (the owner of this car obviously didn't read the sign posted in the window).

So while I am ready to go home – let’s face it, I didn’t want to leave home to begin with – I won’t think of you un-fondly in the future.  Adios, Laredo.  I won’t miss you or be in a hurry to see you again, but if that should come to pass, I won’t be reduced to tears while packing my suitcase.

The Homebody Voyager