Rapidly, the handmade Mexican handicrafts sold by beach vendors are being replaced by cheaply-made Chinese duplicates. I refuse to be a party to this destruction of native craftsmen and artists, so this year for the first time, I have not bought. Today, however, when this hawker walked by my porch, barely bothering to pitch his wares, I called out to him. I’d been to the Michoacan village that was devoted to creating the craft he was selling, and what can I say? I bought two–one for me, and one for my friend Marjorie Pauline, who actually only had to borrow 200 pesos. What was it that made me break my resolve?
Vendor Bender
What bought I on the beach today, What could I not resist?
What souvenir of painted clay, what bauble for my wrist?
Though I have sworn no more to buy, why have I changed my mind?
Have I found a memento of a more novel kind?
The vendor started to walk by. I had to yell “How much?”
And within a minute, he had me in his clutch.
The price was right and he possessed the perfect pitch to sell.
He serenaded me and oh, he did it very well.
It mattered not that I had two others of its kind
waiting for me in my home, for it was such a find!
I bought one, and my friend did, too. She knew not how to play it.
But I was complicit. I did nothing to allay it.
I have no yachts or penthouses. I have no fancy cars.
But although I rarely play, I now have three guitars!!!
Click on photos to enlarge.
You can read about the remarkable village where these guitars are made HERE.
lifelessons - a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown 
Wonderful — I like your resolve not to buy Chinese, but it sounds like this was made in Mexico!
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It was
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That’s a flaming RED guitar – wow!
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Suits the personality of the woman who bought it.
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You have some fun friends, but it figures – you are loads of fun yourself, Judy!
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Lately I’ve noticed that a lot of folk prefer something that looks mass produced. It’s very sad.
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Especially when they are duplicating traditional Oaxacan designs with synthetic thread on synthetic material Makes me sick.
Also imitating the Huichol beadwork.
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Mass production is bleeding in to every corner of the world. You’ll watch a documentary about some ‘untouched’ tribe somewhere deep in in a rain forest, and they’ll all be wearing nike tee-shirts – admittedly, they’re donated by kind folks, but we’re all losing our traditions.
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Not I. I don’t even want my house to look like other people’s. Or my clothes or hair or art or writing.
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I can’t imagine you being surrounded by mass-produced vases and posters, and buying jewellery from a chain store. I’m sure it would crush your soul. Don’t ever change a thing about you.
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