I’m From San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

by Mauricio V.

Google Earth Satellite Image of Nuevo Leon Mexico
I’m From San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

Beautiful San Pedro Garza Garcia, small suburb in the city of Monterrey, Mexico. Considered the richest town in all of Latin America, the model city of Mexico, San Pedro Garza Garcia and its wealthy conservative society is a tough place to grow up.

Born and raised here, I come from a conservative family, powerful father and mom involved in society. It’s hell. I have to be the perfect son and only that, and so many times I find myself alone, because there’s nothing more than that. Parents’ business trips come and go, and I’m the only one that ain’t gone. I call my parents and I have to hold, it’s like when I try to get affection I just get more money. Yeah, how cool, but in the end it’s just cruel.

Divorce had to come, and I’m doing okay. I’m 17, by the way. I only live with my mom now. I go to a Catholic prep school, and no we’re not geeks like you’d imagine prep school kids, we’re the Mexican version of, say, Gossip Girl?

I find in my friends everything I don’t find in my parents: love, caring, and of course, their valuable friendship. In the end, we always say, we have to live our lives happily, so we make a little party.
I tell them everything, everything but this:

I always knew I liked guys too. I’ve tried stuff with girls but with guys, no. Over the summer, I met a guy my age online (yeah, impossible to meet him live; pathetic as it sounds, it’s social suicide).

He was a nice guy, from Houston, Texas, right up north of Mexico. He was cute, polite and educated, and he made me smile. Need I say more? I fell right through of course. He gave me the moon, the stars, and my summer started to be about talking to him. We talked and talked, and he was everything I wanted, he supported me, said he’d love to hug me and loved to be with me as well. He forgot about his problems just to help me through mine. Through those months, he gave me the best time of my life. I had the opportunity to go to Houston. I asked him if he wanted to meet me, and he said yes immediately, and it was on.

I went to the city for a week, and not one day did he want to see me. I called him and texted and everything, he would just give me stupid excuses. I got drunk, I got high, all in the name of “I’m mad at that guy.”

Two months had passed since we met, and I was in love. He made me so happy, and I believed I made him so too. I’ve always had everything I wanted, I know it sounds bad, but that’s how it is. I’d love to have my parents to support me and love me, but instead I got a credit card, and after traveling this far, and not having him, I just came back to thinking that when there’s something too good to be true, its because it isn’t.

In my last day there, I got his address, took a car and drove over. I was only there for an hour — he wasn’t what I had wanted, and he wasn’t worth the trip so far. He wasn’t all so true about his life. I was shocked and disappointed, and suddenly I agreed: When there’s something too good to be true, its cause it isn’t. He was bummed. I guess he expected me to forgive him or something, but I didn’t. His pictures were the ones of a British pop star; therefore, I fell in love with a lie. I wished for that face and that body to kiss me and hug me, not knowing it was false.

He was respectful, said he wouldn’t talk to me again, that he wasn’t any threat to me, that he wouldn’t out me or anything. Anyways, he’s 1,000 kilometers from here.

I took a plane back to my city, and I decided to remember him for the fake person who I fell for.

I had forgotten a bit about my life, to be with him, so I came back to my world, the real world. I came back, well, stronger than ever, I guess. But that wasn’t needed since I found myself among my friends, my family, my real happiness.

Happiness doesn’t depend on the love of one person, a material possession, or social standing.

Happiness is just based on knowing the person beside you will always be there for you, just as you will be there for them. I find happiness in my friends, and a girl can come along, or perhaps a guy, I can fight with my parents or have them support me, but I know that as long as I got the people who love me beside me, I ain’t got nothing to fear.

We make a little party and we forget about our problems. There’s nothing better in this life than to live it with the ones you love.

Sharing your story can change someone's life. Interested in learning more?