any Puerto Ricans who are born outside of Puerto Rico get a
real thrill when they finally get to visit the island for the
first time. It's like "seeing the bride that you've been
betrothed to all your life."
A few days ago someone asked some advice as a Puerto Rican
born in the USA going to Puerto Rico for the first time not
wanting to, rightfully enough, say or do something that'd be
considered "out of place". I said...
"Puerto Rican islanders hate PHONIES, y'know what I'm sayin'... ? Don't show that you're better
NOR that you're worse... JUST a HUMBLE boricua who's from
somewhere else. BE confident of WHO you are BUT don't appear
too PROUD, cuz they eat proud as snacks down there. Key
words: COURTEOUS and POLITE will always win. HAVE a smile?
Don't be afraid to use it..."Con permiso" is your secret
word."
Of course, if you have never practiced any of the above,
you'll find it difficult relating to what I'm saying, although
is never impossible to start on a GOOD foot. Honesty means you
are who you are and if you know that you can be abrasive, then
learn some of the keywords or secret word from above. IT
WORKS! In nutshell, NEVER BE A PHONY!
Ever had trouble with Phonies?
Phonies ARE trouble. PHONIES are people without "substance"
who live in a controversial method of "THEM vs. US",
distinguished by their own superior insincerity and
foolishness. Their method is that of the later Sophists (where
we get "sophisticated" from), a Grecian sect of philosophers
who began by teaching wisdom, prudence, science, art and, in
brief, whatever men "ought to know", but lost themselves in a
maze of quibbles and a fog of insincere words and
pseudo-intellectualism.
Today's incarnation of such old time phonies are in fact
public speakers with a good voice but no ear... (YES, they can
hear BUT, can't listen.) ...INASMUCH as being BOASTERS who
have no faithfulness in their mouth, their inward part is very
essence of wickedness; their throat BEING like AN open sepulchre.
They do flatter THEMSELVES with their tongues... and despise
their neighbor, IF he's of a "LOWER CLASS" (never if from the
upper crust).
WHEN I TOLD my inquiring friend about how much islanders
despise phonies, IT was because those of humble origins who
attain a bit of social status TEND to become THAT which they
are NOT by means of "aspiring to have more than their
neighbor" and showing it! Boricuas somehow have a radar for
those types.
When I was a kid in Cataño, Puerto Rico; I heard that some guy
in a bar brawl had CUT UP another guy with a razor
blade, for apparently no reason, except that HE WAS an "echón"
(from the verb "echar" = to disperse or give out, cast out,
throw) LITERALLY... "echárselas" = to boast AS IF really
having something solid BUT in reality having no substance."
THERE that word again... SUBSTANCE...
US Forces Phonies
For some reason there are those out there who like the
attention, the publicity, or just like to lie about being in
Vietnam or finding "dog tags" and claiming they belong to a
veteran. There are many organizations in the USA dedicated
JUST TO FIND PHONY VETERANS and prosecute them. I personally
can't understand this infatuation with wanting to be someone
they are not or making false claims. It's beyond my
comprehension, but there are zillions of phony heroes out
there.
WHY do we hate PHONIES so passionately?
Many of us, Puerto Ricans born in the good ol' island of
Borinquen, come from a poor (humble origin) background AND the
worse you can do to a Puerto Rican person of humble background
is FLASH your "wealth" on their face. LOOK OUT!
No one has to pick this matter up... I know that, for the most
part I speak through the net and my words get
carried afar.
Thanks for visiting...
Best Regards...
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