THE LATE AFTERNOON SUN WAS BLAZING DOWN ON THE BEACH AT SISAL. WE ARRIVED, READY TO ESCAPE THE HEAT BETWEEN THE SEA AND SOME SHADE WHERE WE COULD WAIT OUT THE DAY UNTIL SUNSET. LUCKILY, WE SPOTTED A FEW BEAUTIFUL PALAPAS WITH HAMMOCKS ON THE BEACH. WE AGREED ON A PRICE WITH A WOMAN IN CHARGE AND SETTLED IN, LOOKING FORWARD TO ENJOYING SISAL. THAT’S WHEN I MET JORGE, THE REAL ‘SHADOW SELLER.’ AND HE DIDN’T LOOK PLEASED.
Our interaction didn’t start smoothly. From where I sat, I saw a man approaching—grey-streaked hair, somewhat weathered by the sun, with dark eyes, probably in his fifties. This was Jorge, the owner of the palapas. He approached with a wary expression. Seeing him come over like that, I thought, “Well, there goes our idea of enjoying the beach and the sea breeze in a shaded hammock. Forget it.” There had been a misunderstanding about the price of the shade and the hammock. His colleague hadn’t told him we’d already agreed on a cheaper rate, and he assumed we were unwilling to pay what was owed. Jorge seemed ready for a confrontation.
But amid the tension, something shifted. As if we had silently agreed, Jorge and I looked each other in the eyes, and we just listened to one another. This made the initial tension melt away. After speaking with his colleague, Jorge realised there had been a misunderstanding. He returned to me with a genuine (very white) smile and a sincere apology. “Please, relax and enjoy your day.”
Jorge’s Story
That’s when Jorge shared something that deeply resonated with me. His eyes, now more at ease, revealed a sense of authenticity. He explained that he had spent much of his youth driven by necessity, chasing money. He recalled a period in the United States working in renowned restaurants, where he earned good money… but was consumed by loneliness. “I worked a lot, earned well, and drank even more,” he said. “I spent years chasing jobs that left me feeling empty until I decided to change my life.”
Now, here in Sisal, he rents out palapas and hammocks, and takes on other small jobs. He surely isn’t the richest man, but he’s gradually finding what he calls ‘his peace.’
“Now I try to focus on what really matters,” he told me with a calmness that contrasted with the earlier tension. “After so much chasing, I realised that what I had been searching for wasn’t money. It was to live truly. It’s not always easy because, of course, living with limited money can be frustrating. And sometimes, my ego takes over—the attachment to material things… Then I realise it’s the fear of losing something I don’t even have. And that what really matters to me is living authentically. That’s when I remember I’m already doing it.”
Jorge’s Life Force: The Power of Authenticity
Though his eyes still reflected traces of unease when talking about his fears, they were warm and honest. Jorge, with his humbleness and integrity, reminded me that it’s often in the simplest things where we find what truly matters. Thanks to his sincerity, he had the power to turn what could have been a conflict into a memorable conversation for me.
That day on the beach, I saw the example of a humble man, driven by the life force of wanting to live authentically.
