It is often said that "everything is a matter of perspective" and from the perspective I am in, being young, General Secretary of the Young Nationalists of the Canary Islands, from Arrecife and from the Argana Alta neighborhood, I perceive that the vision shared by the young people of this city is one of sadness, disaffection, irascibility, and alienation from our city.
It seems as if everything the city has given us remains in the realm of memories, those of a happy childhood, yes. Prior to going to the University of Granada, I studied at Mercedes Medina and IES Arrecife, I played for C.D. Altavista, and C.D. Arrecife, I grew up in Argana Alta, I jumped every summer from the fishing pier and the bridge of the balls, and I remember with great affection how we went to what we called the "pontoons" every afternoon.
I talk to the people of my "vintage" and they only transmit this longing and certain airs of nostalgia to me to return to that Arrecife that once made us fall in love, to relive those years where our city had enormous potential to exploit, where we all wanted to grow, have a decent job, and a house in any of our neighborhoods. Today the situation is totally different. When listening to them, the pain, resignation and impotence are clearly visible, apart from the apathy to which they are involuntarily subjected, and that is something that I cannot ignore.
I am very concerned about how friends, acquaintances, family members, neighbors from Arrecife are abandoning our city, moving to other parts of the island, going to buy from other businesses outside of Arrecife, not attending our carnivals, our festivals in the neighborhoods, or even San Ginés.
We are at a turning point, where Arrecife is in a clear "identity risk", where our people are turning their backs on a city that has a lot to exploit and that is extinguishing its flame little by little. The sentimental disconnection with Arrecife is enormous, we do not feel it is ours, the question is, have they snatched it from us or have we abandoned it?
The situation is not simple, and much is said about it. Every act, every party, every day something happens that pushes us to want to abandon the ship.
When someone takes the step and gets involved in politics, there are parameters that must be managed, and among them, of course, is that you have to govern well, you have to manage public affairs properly, with honesty and transparency, but there is something more important when you are in charge of an institution, and that is to ideologize feelings, it is not the same to be in the city, than to be part of it, of its streets, of its corners, of its people. To be part of history, to be from Arrecife.
As in any crisis, here and now new opportunities open up, and we have in our hand the ability to do something, to reconnect with our traditions, our festivals, our neighbors, our culture and, why not, the sometimes almost indomitable character of our city. It is easy to blame, just as it is easy to draw the darkest and saddest of panoramas, because what is really difficult is, without a doubt, to take action. And that is precisely what I want to invite all the young people, and not so young, who are reading this today, to take the reins, not to throw in the towel, to get involved, to participate... In short, to fight for our city, whose identity and idiosyncrasy runs through our veins.
Arrecife is different. Let us be different too. Let's not abandon it, let's work for this city that we love so much, because after all, the change is in us.
David Toledo Niz, National Secretary of the Young Nationalists of the Canary Islands
