A Movement: Remembering Our Loved Ones
In front of the Capitol of Puerto Rico in San Juan, a movement regarding the victims of the catastrophic hurricane María developed. This silent way of grieving is a way to remember the many victims this natural disaster left behind. The idea consists of leaving a pair of shoes of a loved one who passed away due to the complications that emerged during those dark times for the puertorrican population. This method of grief was developed by a group of people with the determination of helping our community heal and remember the ones that couldn't survive this tragedy. This place has been visited by many individuals seeking for a place to demand justice for those that left us behind and as a way to raise our voice to defend those who can't be heard anymore.
The injustice and incompetence we felt as we were abandoned by our own leaders in times of need were transformed in a silent protest that now serves as a tangible painful memory in front of the capitol. This movement of pain and anger leads a way for us to reach the path of acceptance, releasing those emotions that we keep deep inside ourselves. The only place where we preserve painful memories is in our minds, hearts and the expressions that cover our faces when we visit a painful site. Only the living, can hold in their souls thoughts of life’s joys and of the suffering of the dead (MacCanell, 2011, p.179). We are the voices of those that can’t fend for themselves anymore. Is our duty to carry on the memories of the people we loved and lost, whose lives where cut short caused by something we couldn’t control. Remembering is our ally and our enemy, but is important to keep in mind that is also our greatest weapon against preventing history to repeat itself.
We should be greatful for the artists and people who gave us the precious few effective symbolic representations we have. We should be grateful for the ones making places for us to pause and remember the suffering of the victims and natural violence (MacCanell, 2011, p.177). Forgetting our past is a step forward into repeating the same tragedy and creating an infinite cycle. Movements like this one help us remember that we can always do something different, that we can always keep improving in the political field, our natural decisions or personal mindsets. Places like this help us remember that we are allowed to hurt but we are also allowed to heal and move on. Even though mixed emotions get in our ways when it comes to something we can’t control or an act of injustice, we should always remember that we should always act as a nation and not as individuals.
Personally, this place represents a big portion of our history and our memories. Is difficult for any human being to detach themselves in a physical way from someone that we desire to be close to. This movement overwhelms me with different emotions and encourages me to keep surviving and living the greates life I can in behalf of those that are gone. This movement serves also as a wake up call for humanity, emphasizing on the fact that life is unpredictable and we are not meant to live forever. It’s an eye opening situation, a reminder that we should always cherish the ones we love while we can.
Bibliography:
1- https://www.primerahora.com/noticias/gobierno-politica/nota/colocanzapatosenelcapitolioenmemoriadelasvictimasdemaria-1285386/, “Colocan zapatos en el Capitolio en memoria de las víctimas de María”, Femmy Irrizarry Alvarez, January 6, 2018.
2- MacCanell D. (2011), The Ethics of Sightseeing, California: University of California Press.