Wisdom of the Ancients
I posted this originally in November of 2016, but wanted to repost this again, because the man is so amazing and to share an update.
November:
The other day I was talking to Felix, the
gardener at the SCCLC. He does an
amazing work. The school is a beautiful
garden. He is a little old man. By little I mean I don’t think he is five
feet tall. By old, I mean around
85. I try to greet him every day and
compliment him on his work. He smiles
and talks to me about his garden.
This particular day we were talking about it being a comfortable day in the mid-80s. I was told, and vaguely remember, that October and November, and sometimes December, are very hot, close to 100, though not often topping 100. This year we have had days in the 90s, but they have been followed by surazos, those cold winds from the south. For this time of year that means comfortable days around 70 degrees.
I told him that the internet forecast was
saying it would be in the 90s over the weekend, but the 80s all next week. He said that is because of the moon. What? I
asked him to explain. I didn’t catch
every word he was saying, but mostly, he explained it was because the moon is
closer than normal this year, it is blocking the heat from the sun. Therefore, it would be a cool year. It would also mean that we’d have less rain
than normal.
He went on to say that there are things which people knew in the past that scientists of today have forgotten. Once, he said, an agronomist told him how he was planting the wrong way and offered to show him a better way. The plants, according to the agronomist’s method, were dead in just five days, but his way always works. I don't know what he does, but his plants thrive and bloom and bloom and bloom.
That made me think of what my grandfather taught me about looking at the moon to forecast rain. He said when it is a partial moon think of it as a cup. If the cup can hold water, it is not going to rain. If it looks like it would pour the water out of the cup, it will rain. If it is upside down, where it could hold no water, it can’t rain, because there is no water. I thought my grandpa was crazy, but for decades now I have observed that he was right. Though honestly, I don’t check the moon and rain together that often. A few people have laughed at me when I predicted rain and it rained. It works. I don’t know how it works, but it works.
Felix knew that about the moon too. He proceeded to explain it, but I couldn’t follow all he had to say about it.
My conclusion to this? We have lost a lot of science as we become more scientific. I know that sounds stupid. We scoff at the wisdom of the ancients, but they knew so much more than we do. Our scientists can’t explain things so well built, like the Pyramids, Stonehenge, or the Nasca lines. We can’t imagine that those before us could have more knowledge than we do, so they assume aliens must have built them. We have knowledge today. They had wisdom in the past.
November is half over. It should be our hottest month here. Today, November 17th, the temperature plummeted to 60, with hurricane force winds. At a restaurant in Urubo with friends, the door blew off. It might only be 60, but it has a chill behind it of 40. That is cold for this Texan. It should be 95 degrees outside, but we are living in winter.
Pray for Don Felix, he has been sick lately. I saw him hiding in a corner to throw up. He is 85, but loves his work and wants to be at school no matter what. When I told Yascara, the school secretary, she called his son to come pick him up and make him stay in bed a few days. He is the reason my school is like a beautiful garden.
May:
On May 2, Melissa, one of the amazing
teachers at the Santa Cruz Learning Center, posted a photo of several of her
students with Don Felix. She had been
teaching about the Harlem Renaissance and discussing how to help the marginalized. The class came up with the idea to call the
local TV station and have Don Felix recognized as a Cruceño de
Oro for his service to the Learning Center as its gardener. It brought tears to my eyes that such
goodness could still be found in people.
This is Melissa's photo of Don Felix with the students
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