Several hundred years ago....it seems....the Old Gringo and his wife owned and operated a nice little excursion company. We took folks to all points throughout Mexico and a few other destinations. An old competitor, also a rightwing curmudgeon, and the Old Gringo sit around at times, in a diner over lunch and iced tea (no "foggy drift fueled by Bohemia down memory lane) talking about the glory days when we could count on taking several thousand "winter visitors" to various destinations in Mexico and Texas during the season. We remember when we would put together complicated excursions for convention, trade, and industrial groups during the Summer months.
We each re-enforce each other's life experiences and prejudices. For instance, we both had the same impression about how the market changed and how quickly. During the 1970's through the early 1990's, the average client was a medium to almost large scale farmer or rancher, a retired Sergeant Major to General in the military, a proprietor, an educator, a professional, or a high-skill blue collar type. About three/fourths came from Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. Almost every other State was represented along with the majority of the Canadian provinces, and there was always a sprinkling of Brits of different types and stripes and other Europeans. A point of particular pride is that every now and then, Mexicans from the interior would come up to take a tour to Mexico due to their having witnessed the method of our group actions.....and the comments from our clients.
Anyway, a couple of old war horses now have nothing in particular to do in that arena because the arena was torn down, and somebody made a parking lot out of it. They named it the Hiroshima Parking Lot. The excursion business suffered and then died as the clients gradually became more Democrat, more union, and more anti-Mexican. So much for the party of Kumbaya and Solidarity with Funny Looking Dark Coloured People. The press and the recent conditions in Mexico pretty much poured cement over the grave.
Since we are both official geezers, we figured that we would keep on doing some of the other things that were occupying our time, but the touring business is something else again. It is chromosomal. So now we are thinking about doing a bit of a revival....ploughing a bit deeper over what might seem to be very old ground. We are giving consideration to setting up a few late Winter - early Spring trips in the southern half of Texas with a cultural, geographical, and historical theme. As soon as we have a few ideas concreted, plastered, and painted the Old Gringo will post everything so that the OROGs will be the first to know.
More Later. Thanks as always for your attention and time.
EL Gringo Viejo
We each re-enforce each other's life experiences and prejudices. For instance, we both had the same impression about how the market changed and how quickly. During the 1970's through the early 1990's, the average client was a medium to almost large scale farmer or rancher, a retired Sergeant Major to General in the military, a proprietor, an educator, a professional, or a high-skill blue collar type. About three/fourths came from Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Kansas. Almost every other State was represented along with the majority of the Canadian provinces, and there was always a sprinkling of Brits of different types and stripes and other Europeans. A point of particular pride is that every now and then, Mexicans from the interior would come up to take a tour to Mexico due to their having witnessed the method of our group actions.....and the comments from our clients.
Anyway, a couple of old war horses now have nothing in particular to do in that arena because the arena was torn down, and somebody made a parking lot out of it. They named it the Hiroshima Parking Lot. The excursion business suffered and then died as the clients gradually became more Democrat, more union, and more anti-Mexican. So much for the party of Kumbaya and Solidarity with Funny Looking Dark Coloured People. The press and the recent conditions in Mexico pretty much poured cement over the grave.
Since we are both official geezers, we figured that we would keep on doing some of the other things that were occupying our time, but the touring business is something else again. It is chromosomal. So now we are thinking about doing a bit of a revival....ploughing a bit deeper over what might seem to be very old ground. We are giving consideration to setting up a few late Winter - early Spring trips in the southern half of Texas with a cultural, geographical, and historical theme. As soon as we have a few ideas concreted, plastered, and painted the Old Gringo will post everything so that the OROGs will be the first to know.
More Later. Thanks as always for your attention and time.
EL Gringo Viejo
