Hello again dear friends of Loom Tree! Seasons greetings from the very un-spooky Antigua Guatemala. For a town renowned for its ghosts, Antigua’s vibrant colors and striking sunshine definitely don’t immediately make it come off as a spooky place. But let me tell you, Antigua is well known for its ghost stories, supernatural presences, and well, its witches! I personally like to think of myself among their number. Witches have usually been remarkable women who in many ways were ahead of their times. Sadly for them they were usually misunderstood and ostracized, often finding themselves outcasts from the community as a whole. While I do not intend to imply that Antigua, and Guatemala as a whole for that matter, has been anything other than welcoming and accepting of me, as a foreigner and as an independent woman I am definitely an anomaly.
Ever since I arrived in Guatemala over 30 years ago my character has often been at odds with the preconceptions of women that exist in this part of the world. As an Italian I am direct, I speak my mind, and I speak it with conviction. When it comes to my work this has always been an asset. Especially with my weavers my direct approach has always helped us get to the crux of any problems, and we find solutions far more quickly this way. However, in society as a whole I have developed a bit of a reputation as a bit of a witch! I wish I could say it was due to some supernatural powers I have, and other than an acute sense of taste, an eye for color, and a bit of intuition I sadly can’t say I have any special powers. In this case the witch comparison arises more from the notion of the “difficult” or the “angry” woman stereotype. Sadly we still live in a world where even presidential candidates, if they are male, are allowed to be lawless, but if a woman runs against him she has to be flawless.
Realizing my dream of opening my own textile business in a country like Guatemala was no easy feat. Again, Guatemala has given me so much and I am so grateful, but it has been an uphill battle. And for every opportunity Guatemala has given me I cannot help but think how much easier it would have been were I a man. Here a direct man, an independent man, a successful man is never seen as anything other than a paragon of manhood, maybe even of human-kind. A woman on the other hand is seen as threatening, overly ambitious, and sadly she is even feared. Like the many witches in history who were nothing but women ahead of their times, I too think I was born too early. Seeing how much woman-kind is advancing and how much society is changing before her majestic presence, I sometimes wish I got to experience this new era for myself, rather than being the trailblazer who scouted ahead and lit the way for those who follow me. But such is our fate to make the best of the time that is given to us.
So to all my fellow witches out there who are tired of living under a man’s oppressive world, take heart sisters! The future is ours and it is bright! In the meantime I wish you a happy “dia de brujas!”
Sincerely
Carmen
