February 20, 2005
Visiting Family
President's Day weekend is perhaps one of the better weekends here in Miami for big shindigs. Every year, while people up north are out shovelling snow or laying down salt or throwing on layers of clothing before going outside, we Miamians are donning shorts and tshirts and flip flops and heading out into the beautiful warm weather with clear blues skies. It isnt scorching hot yet and the summer's humidity isnt yet upon us.
Two huge events are run this weekend every year.
First, there's the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, one of the nation's premiere outdoor art festivals, where people flock to the streets of Coconut Grove, right by the bay, to see and buy all kinds of art ranging from paintings to massive sculptures to handcrafts and everything else in between. There's plenty of food - even elephant ears! - and outdoor concerts. It's my favorite outdoor festival and we try to go every year..
If you arent into art then fret not. Miami also offers the International Boat Show this weekend, the largest yacht and boat show in the world. Hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds of boats and yachts exhibited for your viewing, and buying, pleasure. All the new marine crafts are there, as well as humongous yachts that you can walk through or have some bikini clad beauty show you around. Even if you cant afford anything you see but just love boating, its and awesome display.
Yet this year my wife and I are doing something different. There's another event here in Miami this weekend we'll be attending. There are no paintings, no fancy sculptures. There will be no concert there or food and beer vendors. Not a single boat will be seen there, and much to my disappointment, no models in string bikinis. There wont be as many people there as in the other two events mentioned before.
There will be, however, at least 10,300 people there symbolically represented.
Today, the Mrs and I are attending El Memorial Cubano, the Cuban Memorial, at The Tamiami Park and Youth Fair Grounds. It is a memorial commemorating those who have died at the hand of fidel castro. 10,300 crosses placed in a field Arlington Cemetery style to represent the hundreds of thousands of Cubans and others whose deaths are attributed to the brutality of fidel castro's regime.
We may not recognize any name on any of those symbolic gravestones. We may never have met any of these people who are representing their fight for liberty, who gave their lives for their convictions. But our sentiments are perfectly expressed in the last two lines of this article in today's Miami Herald:
But even those who had not lost an immediate family member came to pay homage among the crosses.''For me,'' said Marta Tamargo, who gave birth to her son Leopoldo in Havana just as Castro was consolidating power, ``they all are relatives.''
Posted by Val Prieto at February 20, 2005 07:05 AM
Comments
Beautiful, Val. Yes, they should be remembered. I wonder if their numbers include all those of the people who died on the high seas trying to flee the monstrous castro regime?
That's an exodus that cries out for a memorial, too. Ninety miles, an hour and a half's driving distance, in a flimsy raft, maybe you make it and if you don't you're obliterated from the face and memory of the earth, down a watery grave. All to flee degrading soul-destroying communism.
Posted by: A.M. Mora y Leon at February 20, 2005 02:09 PM
I'm glad to hear the memorial is still there, I wasn't sure if it was permanent or not. Cuando estoy en Miami ya sé que tengo que pasar por Tamiami Park. Thanks.
Posted by: Songuacassal at February 20, 2005 10:59 PM
Val....Thank you!
Posted by: Miguel Hernandez at February 21, 2005 05:32 PM