Emoción.

Yesterday's article on Babalú in the Miami Herald generated an almost overwhelming number of emails - almost 500 - for this humble blogger. As you may have read in the updates to the Herald post I received a few rather distasteful and disturbing emails from people more concerned with spewing the hate and rhetoric that is the backbone of fidel castro's ideology.

The emails I posted yesterday were two of the more tame ones. There were a couple of other emails that were threatening and quite insulting towards myself and my family. Those emails are best described by quoting a little Shakespeare:

A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Macbeth

Yet for every negative email, I received at least 10 thanking me for this endeavor and offering support via either kind words or relating stories of personal experiences of their own family's plight. Some folks wrote in remembering Cubans they had met and seen first hand what their experiences of being a Cuban exile were.

I was literally moved to tears quite a few times yesterday reading those letters. So many sad stories, so much pain, so much longing. So much loss.

I am trying to respond to each and every single email personally but, as you can imagine, it will take a few days. So, if you have emailed and have not heard back from me, I want to say thanks. Gracias for your support and the pats on the back. It means a lot to me and my family to have such kind people supporting us and the cause for a despot free Cuba.

Mil gracias, del corazón.

A major thanks to all my fellow bloggers who linked and wrote about yesterday's Herald piece and sent their readers this way. Rob; my niece Amanda (at the risk of sounding cliche, this torch I carry is for you, Amanda, and your sister and your brother and cousins and especially for that beautiful little Cubanito of yours); Louis; Bill, my buddy INDC; David; SWLiP; Bryan; The Wolf; Miguel; Michele Malkin (we dont always see eye to eye, Michele, but I am glad and honored to have you on my side); my great friend and cause of my high cholesterol Steve; and Ian, who was the first blogger ever to link this here site; and a special thanks to Dean Esmay, who not only linked but is responsible for me becoming a blogger. (Dean, had it not been for your "The Week in Cuba" posts, I dont think Id be sitting here writing. Gracias, man.) Update: Like the putz that I am, I forgot to mention one of my favorite bloggers who also linked yesterday and supports me year round. Gracias, Fausta!

Im almost dizzy with all the emails and comments, so if I missed someone, send me an email upside the head and remind me, will ya?

It's not that I feel like Ive won some award or something where I feel I need to thank everyone. It's that I am so moved by the response and the personal stories and the expressions of solidarity that I am literally holding back tears. This blog is a labor of love, a need I feel I must fulfill. And getting these pats on the back from my peers and readers and fellow Americans and Cuban-Americans that live the diaspora steels my commitment.

Gracias, mi gente. Del alma.

Oh, and, fidel? Kiss my ass, bitch.

Posted by Val Prieto at February 1, 2005 09:25 AM

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Comments

Posted by: Amanda at February 1, 2005 09:38 AM

Posted by: bryan at February 1, 2005 10:03 AM

Posted by: Da Goddess at February 1, 2005 10:07 AM

Posted by: David at February 1, 2005 10:22 AM

Posted by: Fausta at February 1, 2005 01:29 PM

Posted by: Laughing Wolf at February 1, 2005 01:57 PM

Posted by: Dave J at February 1, 2005 08:20 PM

Posted by: Fausta at February 2, 2005 07:02 AM

Posted by: George M. Rodriguez at February 4, 2005 06:50 AM