Thanksgiving

In the fall of 1973 my friend Stephen P. Vernon took me to his home. I slept in his room, and had dinner with his family in LA.

Wow!

I had just got to UCSB around the second week of September, we both were graduate students; he chose Solid State Physics, and I, High Energy Physics. He went to Tempe, to the Arizona State University. I went to Puebla, to the Autonomous University of Puebla, but I digress. Today I remember his humanity. His father was born in England, and Steve was American.

I felt so, welcomed.

Here I was, a complete unknown, in an unknown country, and this family took me into their home and fed me.

Now I know where this tradition comes from, then it was a pleasant cultural experience. Here in Mexico we have ``Día de los Muertos,'' Day of the Dead. Also that day everybody is welcomed in our houses and we feed them. Actually, nowadays this mostly happens, in small towns.

What I have in mind now is the origin of this tradition. As I told my students that haven't been to the States, here in Chilpancingo, this tradition comes from the pilgrims, who almost died when they first got to the, for them, new land. It was the kindness of strangers, Native Americans, which saved them from certain death. From then on, a new partnership was born. Here we have a place on this Earth, where perfect strangers are welcomed to join the effort to make a New World, with a New Man.

Below you can see my son and all his friends, whose ancestors originally came from all over the world.

Have a great Turkey Dinner!