... And one day I decided I was going to be a writer

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When I was eight years old, I ventured into the library we had at home for the first time. Actually, it was not a big deal: it was just a metal furniture with several shelves on which rested, in a disorderly manner, a score of books of different sizes and qualities. Not all were beautiful, but they were all quite interesting. My father had among his books, besides a big bible, in hard cover and golden border, some lives of saints. For me it was a pleasure to go through those truculent narrations of martyrdoms and unlimited dangers, of incredible fanaticism, of self mutilations and certain portents, perhaps, or invented. The photographs of the Holy Land that were in some of them made me anxious to travel.

The books of my sisters, those who they had to read for a homework, to fulfill tasks that in those days could not be found on the Internet, they discovered other realities. Of all those foreign books, the one I remember most fondly is one that was already very deteriorated, without paste, with the edges slightly nibbled by the rats. It was the jewel of Edmundo de Amicis: Heart. How much I laughed and cried with that beautiful account of Enrique's school troubles and his schoolmates. Soon after finishing that beautiful work, I was determined to become a writer. Wasn't it magic to travel to Turin and witness all those little lives? Wasn't it beautiful to hear in my head the teacher's voice and the children's cry?

Already in college, I discovered a second passion in teaching, not only to teach other Spanish or literature, but to verify that a language is not just a set of words. The university demanded a certain command of a second language. Although I studied English for six years in school (what would be an institute in Spain), I did not really know that language. It was when I entered it that I discovered the wonderful symbiosis between language and culture. Hence, teaching others to speak Spanish will be so rewarding. It was not just about pronouns and conjugations, it was also the food of my Colombian land, the Sombrero Vueltiao, the traditional dances like El Vallenato or La Cumbia. Hence, my professional life has resulted in this mixture of teacher, writer, traveler. I enjoy every moment in front of the keyboard, in front of a group or a student of Spanish, in the middle of majestic landscapes. As Whitman said: "For me, every hour of the day and night is an unspeakable perfect miracle." I hope, kind, sensed, uncertain reader, that you enjoy what I have to teach you, share with you, narrate to you. If you want to know more about my books, I invite you to watch my video.
A hug of peace. :)










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