Greased Pole Woe

It is with a heart laden with sorrow and regret that I post today. This year, to celebrate Mexico's triumph of independence there was much revelry, there was joyful celebration, there was great festivity, but alas! there was no greased pole.

Last year's greased pole event was the highlight of the entire Independence Day weekend celebration. It beat out the drunk-driving/water-fight/bicycle-race mayhem, the crowning of the Queen of San Juan Cosalá, and even the street fight, which placed second in the Memorable Events of Independence Day Weekend 2008 Contest. After all, it's not every day I get to see my husband pantsed while shimmying up a pole greased in pork lard to throw presents to a cheering crowd. (Oh, but that it were!)

But this year, the traditional greased pole event did not take place.

The news gets even sadder here, so steel yourself. The reason that there was no present-bearing pork lard greased pole event in the plaza this year is that the "winner" of last year's event shirked his responsibility in organizing the preparations for this year's present-bearing pork lard greased pole event. You can only imagine my credulity when I discovered that the man who deprived me and the whole town (but mostly me) of the year's greatest ado is the very man to whom I pledged my love and lifelong commitment.

To atone, he will begin this very month the preparations of next year's present-bearing pork lard greased pole event, so that this great tradition will not disappear from San Juan Cosalá.