Ironsuit’s Weblog

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Barra Del Torro is a town far from the influence of America and the global world. To get there, one has to drive through some of Mexico’s most out of the way rural farming communities.  These places are less than a day from the U.S. and still use oxen to plow the fields, grass for roof tops and horses for transportation.

On your way to Barra Del Torro you will see little boys herding cattle along side of the road with sticks. Roberto, the young man trying to act cool on my motorcycle, is one of these boys, although he also helps his family tend to visitors, assuming they have visitors.

When i met Roberto he was almost 12 years old and was near the completion of his formal school years. His father was concerned about the direction of his future and wanted his son to learn a trade. The 3 peso bathroom charge and 8 peso shower charge wasn’t making the family enough money but a trade, his father knew, would give him a skill that he could perfect.

Roberto and I became friends very quickly. Whenever I needed anything I would call for Roberto and he would come running, as cheerful as ever, and help me out or give me the information that i needed. The way I understood it, as a gringo, the more help he was the more i would tip him and help the whole family out. That was “fair and righteous” in my opinion.

Unfortunately, that is not how his family and culture worked.

His father had a discussion with me that nearly broke my heart. He told me that we, my friend and I, do not need to tip. Tipping is almost disrespectful and he felt insulted by my throwing around money. His family wanted to enjoy our company as friends, even though we had only known each other for 1 day, and stopped charging us for everything.

We ate dinner together that night and had the best seafood soup that I ever had. They didn’t charge us even though it was suppose to be a restaurant they were running and they didn’t have any other customers. I want to explain to them my side of the story but i didn’t.

But to you, I will explain.

In the U.S. i am considered lower class working poor and i am from a family of lower class working poor. I had $800 for my summer vacation in Mexico and planned on coming home broke. I can spend $20 on beer in one night and not think anything about it. But when i realize that $20 could feed and shelter a family for a week, in my opinion, there was no other choice. It felt right to give to those more in need. But sometimes what feels right isn’t always the right thing to do.

I gave Roberto my camera and asked him to take a few pictures for me and this is what he came back with.

So long Roberto, until we meet again.