by mario banuelos
I sat on a stone fence under the shade of a large tree in the Sierra Los Huicholes, Mexico, listening to an old family friend, Castulo.
He came from my grandparents’ generation and he was telling me a story, first hand, I had heard many times growing up. As a child, my father had a passion for music, but he was poor. However, that didn’t stop him from pursuing his dreams.
When my father was 12 years old, he assembled a violin from scratch, using discarded pieces of fine wood, nails, glue, and nylon strings used to wrap flowers. He had a will to learn. When he wasn’t working on his chores, he was playing that little violin. Castulo smiled as he reminisced, “After a period of time, your father had become pretty good, so a group of us got together and we all decided to pitch in and buy him a real violin. You should have seen the look on his face when we gave it to him. His music became even better!”
My father loved mariachi music and eventually also learned to play guitar, guitarron (bass guitar), and mandolin, but the violin remained his true passion. He played at church and at dances and parties; he was always there to play Las Mañanitas, the early morning birthday serenade. Castulo smiled as he reflected on all the times my father had played for the village and said, “That little violin was one of the best investments we ever made. It brought us all a lot of joy.”
Castulo and his friends in a small agricultural village saw the possibilities in a small child with limited means and made an investment to help him reach his potential, and in return they and their community benefited.
I was reminded of this type of generosity at the Taste of Morgan Hill celebration in September, where individuals and organizations gathered at the non-profit plaza, a communal tent of 14 different non-profit organizations, put together in partnership with the Morgan Hill Community Foundation and PG&E. One of the foundation’s goals is to further a culture of giving by addressing needs in the community and supporting non-profit groups and programs that benefit the greater Morgan Hill area.
The weekend was filled with activities at the plaza. A group of girls from the Asians for a Better Community group performed colorful cultural dances. An ensemble group from the South Valley Civic Theater sang as passers-by paused to listen. Throughout the weekend, people were treated to sounds of the Morgan Hill Wind Symphony as their music played through the sound system. Members of the South Valley Symphony were also at hand to promote orchestral opportunities for both musicians and audiences.
Young kids would stop by and ask questions about the flags displayed in the Morgan Hill Sister City Committee booth, and some of them would walk to the next booth and say “what’s that” regarding an artistic rendition display on how Downtown Morgan Hill might look in the future presented by the downtown association.
Any visitor to the Taste with a pet, especially during the hot time of the day, was appreciative of the water bowls provided by the Morgan Hill Dog Owners Group. Visitors with cats were also able to let them take a sip and stop by the Town Cats booth to learn about their adoption center and shelter.
On a sober note, it was nice to see both youth and parents stop by the Community Substance Abuse Prevention Partnership (CSAPP) booth and take a test to see how much alcohol is present in drinks that are marketed and packaged to look harmless.
Silicon Valley Habitat for Humanity displayed drawings of homes for low-income families that they intend to build over the next two years. They have plans for a total of 19 homes, including six here in Morgan Hill.
Other groups at the non-profit plaza included Silicon Valley Independent Living Center whose mission is to empower and provide support to people with disabilities, the Teachers Aid Coalition that provides much needed supplies to teachers, and a group from God’s Great Outdoors that takes at-risk youth on fishing and wildlife adventures.
The Taste of Morgan Hill brings together our residents in a fun and friendly celebration of what we offer here in our community. I was impressed with the number of volunteers that I met working in various places; it was especially gratifying to see so many of our community’s teens involved.
Does community investment matter? Whatever happened to the little boy with his home-made violin? He grew up, got married, started a family, and continued to play his music. During the ’60s and ’70s, he played in a mariachi band that toured and performed throughout the South bay.
That evening, after volunteering at the Taste of Morgan Hill, I went to a mariachi concert at the San Jose State Event Center to hear Linda Ronstadt sing Canciones De Mi Padre (Songs Of My Father). I was fortunate to have my father with me as we listened and enjoyed the songs of his youth. I thought of Castulo and the generous contributions he and his town gave to my father, and the generosity so evident at the non-profit plaza booths. Yes, community investment matters.
Mario Banuelos has lived in Morgan Hill for 19 years. He has served on the South Valley Dayworker Committee and is a member of the Morgan Hill Community Foundation. He is married and has four children. Reach him at mb*******@ch*****.net.
