It is only two weeks from now that the journey from Mexico to Europe will start.
This is a regular event that has happened many times over the years.
But this time it comes with tremendous excitement besides many other violent emotions.
Inner turbulence already shaking existence while the journey is still fourteen days away.
There are two reasons for this exceptional stretching and intense vibrating of the nerves and emotions.
One is that the new photo book "Sequences: the ultimate selection" will be published shortly after arriving in Europe.
This will occur during the opening of an exhibition of the sequences in Galerie Baudelaire in Antwerp, Belgium on November 29.
Around this opening and publication lots of activities have been organized.
Signings, meetings, appointments, lectures, workshops and master classes.
Each event is looked forward to as something wonderful to experience.
It feels like going to have a tremendous birthday party.
Thus it is hard to wait another two weeks for the festivities to start.
Weren't there two reasons for being extremely excited for going to Europe this time?
The second reason is equal in quality to the first one.
On August 16 an e-mail was received of a person offering her services for collaborating on one of the photo projects that are planned to be performed in the near future.
A communication came into existence and in fact, in a short time, it became personal.
It was not only about the photo project anymore, but also very much about the private lives.
Soon, also SKYPE was used for the communication and this allowed to see each other on the computer screen.
This is how it was discovered what an exceptional and beautiful person destiny has allowed to come into life.
But to grow close to someone through internet stirs the desire to want desperately to meet in person.
The sending of e-mails and to see each other only on the computer screen become a drag.
Both are very, very ready to meet now, pronto, immediately, but then the flight is in two weeks.
Of course it has been tried to change the dates of the journey but airline Swiss makes that too difficult.
The meeting will take place at the airport of Schiphol, Amsterdam and is already adding seriously to all the excitement surrounding the coming European tour.
How will it be to meet not in cyberspace but in reality?
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Gumaro said: "Are you coming with us to the cemetery tomorrow?".
The family was going to put flowers and place candles on the graves because of "Dia de los Muertos".
Being friends with the Gonzales for many years, by now most family members resting in the cemetery of Miraflores are known.
So, Gumaro's question was more a polite piece of information.
It was only natural to come.
At the cemetery of Miraflores are buried the parents of Gumaro and the parents of his wife Lucretia.
The custom is that each parent has its own tomb.
A small house with a little altar inside.
Built next to each other.
In Europe most couples want to be buried in one grave together.
Not so in Mexico though.
Each deceased parent in its own little house gets on "Dia de los Muertos" several pots of artificial flowers.
And a visit inside where a prayer is said.
Parents die.
That's only the natural way of things.
And because in the case of the Gonzales it is quite some years ago, the visit is without too much emotion.
This is different when the tomb and little house of Angelito is visited.
He is the son of Gumaro and Lucretia.
Died too young of a kidney disease about 5 years ago.
And this is a deep wound.
Especially the mother, Lucretia, has never been the same after the son's death.
And on "Dia de los Muertos" she goes into the little house alone and all waiting outside hear her cry in such a sad way.
It is total grief.
Hard pain for a bad loss.
When Lucretia eventually comes out of Angelito's little house, it is Gumaro who goes in.
And he can be heard too.
Gumaro, a strong and proud and good man, crying for the the loss of his son he loved so much.
Next, there are the other members of the family who go inside and pray or meditate.
And because the pioneering photographer is considered by the Gonzales as a member of the family, inside the little house Angelito is tenderly remembered as the beautiful and happy boy he was.
Memories so soft and sweet that his departure from this world is making the eyes wet.
Afterwards, when all the flowers are put and candles are lighted and the crying is done, there is relief with everyone.
Like normal breathing is possible again.
And an even stronger bond between the Gonzales can be felt.
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A conversation with long time friend Lydia.
She is a + 40 woman working for a big company and lives in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Lydia is married to a man originally from another continent and they have two teenage children.
The conversation was triggered by a rather abstract message Lydia had put on Facebook.
She wrote for all her Facebook friends to see:
"Under your spell"
From which this friend understood she was in emotional turmoil.
It was presumed Lydia had fallen in love.
And this was indeed the case.
In the recent conversation she could speak more openly.
And explained she was hit by lightning.
Had met a person and now her emotional household was in total disarray.
Lydia very much in love.
Off her feet.
Lost lustfully.
But then something remarkable.
During the conversation about her new adventure it became clear that the person in question is a woman.
Lydia, a married woman with two children and a husband, had fallen in love with another lady.
Suddenly, the concept that was alive of Lydia, a heterosexual woman with a man and kids, had to be adjusted.
Obviously she is a person who can also fall in love with persons of the same sex.
Within the context of the society as exists in the Netherlands, this is no problem.
Heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality, you are allowed to live as you like.
In general there is a high level of tolerance and liberalism.
There is freedom in this matter.
This cannot be said of many other countries in this world.
Where a married woman falling in love with another woman might end up crucified.
Or negatively judged and discriminated.
Hearing the story of Lydia tremendous joy arose.
For two reasons.
How wonderful for Lydia to have this experience.
She is a beautiful woman and for her to have these great emotions is, as her friend, enjoyed and appreciated deeply.
The other reason is that it was noticed that morally it is absolutely no problem to hear Lydia is emotionally involved with another woman.
Why would emotions for others be limited by gender?
After talking about Lydia's exciting life, she asked about what was going on with the emotions of the pioneering photographer these days.
Turmoil too but that is another posting.
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The children of the Gonzales family at Rancho Punta Boca del Salado, Baja California, Mexico are begging, each weekend when they are there, for classes.
To all sit around the large table under the palm leaves roof with each kid equipped with paper and a ballpoint to do mathematic, drawings or English.
What remains remarkable is that these children all ask to have these classes.
It is not organized for them and then offered.
They are crazy about the teachings and as they know they are the most important, they naturally get a positive reply to their request.
Each time a new way of teaching is applied.
And these days the pedagogic focus is how to learn children more than just mathematics.
Of course it is good for them to know how much is 45 + 74.
But there is something more essential to learn.
Like being independent.
Like being responsible.
This is now achieved through mathematics!
To catch two birds with one net.
The kids learn how to do correctly the mathematical tricks and at the same time they learn to be independent and responsible.
The way it works is that they get incomplete sums.
In the past they would have to solve a sum like 67 + 54 = ?
Depending of the level of the student the sum would be more easy or more complicated.
But now they get an incomplete sum.
Like 67 + ... = ?
They have to put themselves the amount with which to add and then solve the sum.
This means they can make it as easy or as difficult for themselves as they like.
For example they could put 67 + 2 = 69.
Sum ready and perfect result.
But children are smart enough to realize that this is more a way to escape the challenge.
Hence, they will put a bigger figure there.
Like 67 + 271 = ?
Suddenly they are solving mathematical problems and at the same time they have to make decisions how easy or difficult they are making it for themselves.
The children of the Gonzales family at Rancho Punta Boca del Salado, Baja California, Mexico love this.
They feel they are being taken serious and that they are trusted a responsibility.
They even get deeper involved because now the sum is not something from the brain of the professor anymore.
But it is something that is coming from themselves also.
Therefore they identify much more with the mathematical problem and are much more motivated to solve it correctly.
The same strategy is now applied when they want to do drawings.
In the past a drawing would be made and they would have to copy it as precisely as possible.
Now a drawing is presented to the student and he or she is asked to continue the drawing.
To expand it.
To add to it.
To have as a result a drawing that is made together.
In this way the visual and imaginative capacities and drawing talents of the child are expanded.
And at the same time the child learns to do things together.
To have a result from a collaboration.
Working with children gives a tremendous satisfaction.
It is not only fascinating when approached in a creative way.
But it is rewarding.
Not with money or anything like that.
When the class is over they spontaneously come to the teacher and give him a hug.
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