By Natalie Taylor
Betty Lopez first came to San Miguel when she was 11 years old. Her mother was a painter and had heard about the art community here; so they took a train from Arizona all the way here. A taxi brought them to the center of town—it was the early 70s and car traffic was allowed. When Betty spotted the Parroqua, she knew this was “another world.” Her mother was thrilled with the artist community she found her and dedicated herself to studying painting at Instituto Allende. After that initial visit, they would returned to San Miguel every summer so she could continue with her studies and also to escape the heat of Arizona.
Betty recalls how enjoyable it was to be a kid in San Miguel in those days. The parents would pretty much allow them free reign, because the streets were safe and all the adults looked out for children. They wandered the city streets, peeking into gates and looking for interesting things to do. One of the things she remembers fondly is playing with the legend of “La Loca” (the crazy one) who supposedly had lived and died in Posada San Francisco. The story was that in old San Miguel there had lived a woman who, for some unknown reason, had suffered a great deformity which made her face horrible. Because of this she always wore a black veil. Then, on a very frigid night as she was returning home, three drunk men attempted to attack her by grabbing her from the back. The woman quickened her steps but when she was near a lamp post, one of the man reached for her and touched her shoulder. She faced the men, pulled down her veil and began to laugh hysterically, causing the three to flee in horror. It was said that she still haunted the hallways and sometimes appeared in the window or in one of the mirrors inside. Betty and her friends loved to bring unsuspecting visitors to the Posada—particularly after sundown—and point to some mirror or window and scare them with the legend.
After high school, Betty studied design in San Luis Potosi. But, she was not happy with her career choice, so she returned to the US and enrolled in language studies at the University of Arizona. She settled in Tucson, got married to a Mexican-American man (hence her last name), and had two daughters. Her mother, meanwhile, continued coming to San Miguel on a regular basis.
In 2005, Betty divorced and moved with her daughters to the Bay area, where she worked mostly in the non-profit sector and social services. She found this type of work rewarding, calling it “people purpose,” and she particularly liked working for a Methodone clinic helping addicted individuals. Through all those years she had maintained a warm, close relationship with her father, so when he died 2012, it was a heavy emotional blow. This loss, and the high cost of living in the Bay area prompted her to search for a different place to live. In 2013 she came here and immediately realized that this was where she belonged. She got certified in teaching English and made her move to San Miguel later that year. Aside from teaching English, Betty has given back to the community by working with Ojala Ninos. She can see how the expat community has grown so much since the early days when she was here; but she is happy that so many of them actively give back either with funds or by donating their time as volunteers in non-profits.
What drew Betty back to San Miguel? Perhaps the most important reason was the feeling, when she returned, that she was “coming home.” The other, most likely tied to the first, is the sense of community that one has here—the positive, strong connection between the foreigners and the Mexican locals; the way one is easily embraced by those living here. The third reason is the sense of celebration. Not just a celebration of life—and death, during Dia de Muertos—but the simple traditions that have persisted over the years. The “tequila” burros during weddings, the “rockets” that explode during festivals, and the parades and indigenous dancers, are just some of the customs that remain unchanged. And best of all—they are all free for everyone to enjoy!
BA in English Lit and Journalism, Loyola University, Chicago, 1995. MFA in Creative Writing, Vermont College, Montpelier, VT, 1999. Published writer, editor, journalist. Teacher of Spanish in the US, teacher of English, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Translator. www.natalietaylor.org Contact: tangonata@gmail.com
