Who among us does not remember the games of our childhood? Those days when we played marbles, bebeleche or spinning tops, and at the same time we lived with our neighbors, with our brothers. A lot of time has passed and a lot of things have changed since then. Every day we see fewer children on the streets, every day we see that the use of tablets or mobile phones seems to have replaced the healthy relaxation that our traditional games gave us.
It is a pity that many children and young people today have the highest goal or greatest ambition to become famous on social networks, nowadays they spend a large part of their time on Tiktok, on YouTube, on Instagram, on Facebook. Today, digital platforms have gained ground over reality, over personal human relationships. And it seems that this is our society’s tendency to dehumanize, depersonalize and understand relationships through a screen.
That is why I was very happy to receive Gerardo Montero, a young man from Veracruz who is recognized as an international spinning top champion and who promotes values through the practice of traditional games, in Fresnillo. I decided to invite him and the Fresnillenses left with a good taste in their mouths, especially the girls and boys from public and private schools, whom he attended to present their workshops and exhibitions.
Gerardo Montero was present as a reference in international programs, in exclusive interviews. He even participated in the famous mshow, El Hormiguero, from Spain; in Tengo Talento, Mucho Talento, in Sabadazo, among others, in which he shares his experience, his learning, and also the triumphs and satisfaction he has received by dedicating his life to this noble work. I take this opportunity, dear reader, to thank you from this space for your kind visit to the Fresnillo Community.
And it is that I agree with his view, traditional games are just that, the perfect way to generate bonds, friendship and healthy coexistence. They are a way to learn about the diversity and cultural richness of the countries they have visited, and to be able to compare how, in the specific case of the toll, it has become present in all the continents of the world. According to Gerardo, this same game has been played in Mexico as well as in Turkey, Italy, Germany, the United States, Russia, to name a few.
But the fact that we have the top international champion on this earth is not just about simple shows, but also helps us to preserve history and memory. I am aware that we cannot banish technological progress, let alone deprive it of children. Technology is not necessarily a bad thing, but I also know that as a society we cannot ignore the responsibility to educate the new generations and give validity to our traditions.
There will probably be people who say that traditions are not important and yet a few days ago we saw hundreds of families gathered around the celebration of the call for independence we consider these celebrations, playing, living together as something fundamental to the foundation of the society that is the family.
