Dear capitalism,

This is a farewell letter. Perhaps it may seem abrupt, but it is something that has
been growing inside me with the time of the redwoods.
First of all, I want to say that I would have liked to tell you this up front, but your
face was not anyones face in particular nor had you a specific address, and I did
not know exactly where to find you, where to write or which tone I should use; I did
not know whether to write one of those letters adorned with bureaucracys cold
formality for any president of a nation or for any CEO (I know it is sometimes
difficult to tell the difference, especially for you), or whether it would be a personal
and close letter to a friend or a family member. I did not know even if I would write
to myself, and finally I decided to write to everyone, myself included.
I have to confess that I could not speak to the world translated into profits and
losses, because would not have known then what exchange rate use to describe the
value of trumpet trees, nor would have known to tell if spring made their stock
value rise up along with their scent to show you how important they are for me, for
us. This is one of the reasons why our relationship can not continue, because we do
not speak the same language, because I can not talk about the world or other
people as if they were merchandise, and you do not know otherwise.
But I want to go straight to the point: I no longer love you. I thought I was fine with
you, but actually I was numb; I thought I needed you, even if you didnt give me
peace. Now I realize I was so used to you that I made you my everything without
realizing it, and felt that letting you go was nonsense, as if there was nothing
better... sometimes as if there was nothing else at all.
I always thought that everything I did was your fault, but I think I gave you too
much credit and overestimated your power, and now I recognize my responsibility
and my power in it, and I have taken possession of it and want to build life in
solidarity with the others -of whom you told me they were my enemies- and the
nature of which I tried to step out, because you told me that I was superior and that
I owned it. The fault is also mine, because I believed you, but not anymore.
You know this can not be an easy and quick goodbye because we have a whole life
together, and I know it will hurt because I learned unconsciously to see and desire
like you, but I want to make very clear that there is no going back ... Its not you, its
not even me... its us, our future.
With love,
Juan Manuel
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Querido capitalismo,
sta es una carta de despedida. Tal vez puede parecerte precipitado, pero es algo
que ha ido creciendo adentro de m con el tiempo de las secuoyas.

Antes que nada, quiero decirte que me habra gustado poder decirte esto de frente,
pero tu rostro no era el de nadie en particular ni tenas una direccin especfica, y
no supe exactamente dnde encontrarte, a dnde o en qu tono escribirte; no supe
si escribir una de esas cartas adornadas con la formalidad fra de la burocracia para
algn presidente o para algn empresario (ya s que a veces es difcil notar la
diferencia, sobre todo para ti), o si ms bien sera una carta personal y cercana para
algn amigo o algn familiar. No supe siquiera si iba a escribirme a m mismo, y al
final he decidido escribirnos a todos y todas, yo incluido.
Tengo que confesarte que no he podido hablarte del mundo traducido a ganancias y
prdidas, porque entonces no habra sabido qu tipo de cambio usar para
describirte el valor de los macuiles y de las jacarandas, ni habra sabido decirte
tampoco si en primavera sus indicadores en la bolsa suben junto con su aroma para
mostrarte cun importantes son para m, para nosotr@s. Esto es uno de los motivos
por los que nuestra relacin no puede continuar, porque no hablamos el mismo
lenguaje, porque no puedo hablar del mundo ni de las dems personas como si
fueran mercanca, y t no conoces otro modo.
Quiero ir directo al grano para no alargar ms el asunto: ya no te amo. Pens que yo
estaba bien, pero en realidad estaba entumido; pens que te necesitaba, aunque no
me dieras paz. Ahora me doy cuenta de que estaba tan acostumbrado a ti que te
hice mi todo sin darme cuenta y que senta que soltarme era un sinsentido, como si
no hubiera nada mejor a veces como si no hubiera nada ms.
Siempre cre que todo lo malo lo haca por tu culpa, pero creo que te di demasiado
crdito y sobreestim tu poder, y ahora que reconozco mi responsabilidad y mi
poder en ello, me he adueado de l y lo quiero para construir la vida en solidaridad
con las dems personas -de quienes me dijiste que eran mis enemig@s- y con la
naturaleza de la que me distanci, porque me dijiste que yo era superior y que me
perteneca. La culpa es tambin ma, porque te cre, pero ya no ms.
S que sta no puede ser una despedida fcil y rpida porque tenemos una vida
juntos y s que va a doler, porque he aprendido inconscientemente a ver y a desear
como t, pero quiero que quede muy claro que no hay marcha atrs No eres t,
no soy ni si quiera yo Somos nosotr@s, nuestro futuro.
Con amor,
Juan Manuel.