I usually wait for New Year's Eve and the "grapes", script, "chimes" moment to do what most mortals do: my New Year's resolutions. However, this time, I brought forward part of my wishes and before the Christmas holidays began, I committed to doing my bit to promote local commerce.
This meant doing all my shopping in Arrecife establishments; when I say Arrecife I include the neighborhoods and not just the commercial area of the city center. I also did a modest awareness campaign among my family and friends to join my humble cause. Even the menu that was enjoyed at my table was made with products purchased in butcher shops, fishmongers and greengrocers of local merchants, no supermarkets this time.
So, while I was shopping, I talked with clerks and owners of the "lifelong" stores, and they told me that after the end of the endless work on the Avenue, the improvement they expected was not reflected in the daily boxes and longed for things to cheer up the last days, before the day of the Three Wise Men. I promised to come back to see if in the end we celebrated that the box ended up full. With that wish I said goodbye.
But when I returned, everyone's face reflected discouragement at the complex situation they have gone through and the uncertain future that lies ahead. The answer that best illustrates what Christmas and Kings sales have been like in our city was: Christmas campaign? What Campaign?.
Arrecife is dying, it only has a thread of life left. And who is to blame? Well, those who have decided to ignore the majority and keep the Avenue closed. They tell us that to make a decision we have to wait for mobility reports, well I inform them that people are moving but they are moving out of Arrecife.
They wanted to make a friendly Arrecife and have achieved an outraged city. As a resident of Arrecife, I do not resign myself and I am going to allow my city to die because of the ineptitude of some. I want to see it grow, mature and become the great capital it is called to be. I really want Arrecife to be a Pleasant City and to be able to feel proud of it again.
Dácil Garcias, Spokesperson for the Popular Party in the Arrecife City Council