Editorial: Do I need to wear shoes?

Do I have to wear shoes?

Idon’t recognize my life from five years ago. Back then, our Mérida house was built, but I just couldn’t get to see it much without requesting vacation time from my boss, and then negotiating time to work from home, a concept that was still considered unusual in 2017. We had the technology, but my bosses wanted to see me tapping away on the keyboard on-site.

I lived in the icy northeast United States. Around this time of year, I’d be savoring what few days remained where I didn’t need a hat and scarf. Proper shoes were the norm. With socks underneath, if memory serves. A few days ago I went to a dressy occasion — which is more common these days in Mérida than it used to be — and I could barely tolerate my soft, leather loafers. Even my Velcro sandals feel confining these days. It’s funny because in the States I hardly ever wore flip-flops, and now I practically live in them.

How I finally broke free from all that and made it here full-time, while still in my mid-50s, is a story for another day. But I finally did, gambling everything I ever worked for — my relationships, my finances, and my career.

So here I am, and life speeds along even as I slow down. The city is changing rapidly, not necessarily the way I expected, but not in an entirely disagreeable way, either. My partner and I didn’t come here for fine dining — travel stories would describe the Mérida food scene as best experienced in a private home. Today, we have fancy restaurants, and fancy prices, across the city, mainly in the north. To enter some of them, I will need to buy fancy clothes at the fancy new malls. I find it odd, but then again, I was so happy that day when I found a nice Gap shirt at the Liverpool. So I shouldn’t complain.

One of the biggest conveniences these days started when Amazon built that big warehouse and logistics center in Umán. Shopping was tough without a car, but now I’m buying everyday products for the kitchen, office, or closet, sometimes delivered on the same day. That used to require many fruitless shopping expeditions at Walmart or Sears. Now it’s like, “ding dong!” Oh, that must be my underwear. We would have had a hard time equipping our new Roof Cat photo studio in Las Américas without Amazon.

Not everyone comes here to unwind while stretching their Social Security checks. Younger people from abroad are raising families and keeping their jobs. They are practical. They just want to live a normal middle-class 21st-century existence. Rich cultural experiences await them when they’re ready.

Meantime, Mérida and the rest of Yucatán remain a welcoming place for everyone who appreciates it. 

Lee Steele Director, Yucatán Magazine lee@roofcatmedia.com