Dear Mexico

As I was collecting my shiniest shots to report on my beautiful journey through Mexico, writing a funny anecdote as I like to do, my belly objected. Because the real story is not all sunsets and smiles.

The purpose of my traveling is to discover the world outside of my little European bubble. To really connect to and understand more of our planet, our people and our lives. And spending a fair amount of time in many different places in Mexico, I oftentimes felt sadness instead of casual holiday fun.

As I tried to make sense out of it I came to understand that only five centuries ago the Spanish Inquisition took place. An exceptionally beautiful, rich and wise variety of cultures was abruptly swept off the face of the earth, because 'someone' felt it was 'the wrong kind of belief'.

Imagine a bunch of strangers basically barging into your house, burning you or if you're 'lucky' raping you and telling you that you're doing 'it' wrong, that you're prohibited to continue your ways and that from now on you have to … oh wait, are we still doing this?

Colonialism, whether it be for religion, land, or 'education', kills not only culture, earth and people but more importantly it kills identity, self-worth, a sense of security, the right of self-determination, independence, a sense of beloning… I could keep going.

It causes collective trauma to root deeply into a society. Because crime causes trauma. And oftentimes trauma causes crime. See where this cycle is taking us?

Mistreated people will mistreat other people, and traumatized people will traumatize other people. This is how and why trauma is being passed on and will continue to live on for generations, centuries, if you will.

I don't know much of history, but what I do know from my practice as a coach is that nobody is born a criminal and crime is never a random act. It's an act of pain, despair, incomprehension, anger, … whereunder lies a painful cry for being heard, seen and loved.

I suggest we stop rewarding our boys (and girls) for staying strong when they feel vulnerable, for randomly playing with power (over people) and for using and glorifying aggression as a tool to 'take back control'. Allowing people to behave in unhealthy ways is enhancing trauma both in them, in ourselves and our societies.

Luckily, what I am an expert on and what I do know for sure, is that once we know better, we always do better. Because that's our very nature.

That being said: I hear you, I see you and I love you Mexico. My deep gratitude goes out to you for opening up and welcoming the whole world despite the gaping wounds and trauma's that are still so tangible.

You may not be my country, but this is my planet.
And everyone on it, is my people.

And yours as well, dear reader.