El Paso Memories

Summary

The author reflects on the dissonance between the name "Cielo Vista" and the enclosed nature of shopping malls, recalls personal memories associated with El Paso's Cielo Vista Mall, and grapples with the emotional impact of a mass shooting at the Wal-Mart near the mall.

Abstract

The text discusses the author's experiences and reflections on the Cielo Vista Mall in El Paso, Texas. Initially, the author notes the irony in the mall's name, which translates to "view of the sky," given that shopping malls are typically enclosed structures with no actual sky view. The author reminisces about the mall's early days when it was a novel and exciting place, sharing personal anecdotes from their youth, such as watching the first Star Wars movie there and encountering a memorable employee at Pier 1 Imports. Over time, the author's feelings towards malls have shifted, now preferring the genuine outdoors. The recent mass shooting in El Paso at a Wal-Mart near Cielo Vista Mall brings back memories and stirs a profound reaction, emphasizing the pervasive nature of violence in America and the importance of finding solace in nature's beauty.

Opinions

The author finds the name "Cielo Vista" to be an odd choice for an indoor shopping mall since it contradicts the enclosed nature of the space.
Despite the initial discussion about the name, the author notes that once the mall opened, the significance of its name was quickly forgotten by the public.
The author has fond memories of the mall from their youth, highlighting it as a significant part of the local culture and personal life events.
There is a clear shift in the author's perspective on shopping malls, moving from a place of fascination to a preference for natural, outdoor environments.
The recent tragedy at the Wal-Mart near Cielo Vista Mall has deeply affected the author, bringing to light the impact of gun violence and the way it can personally touch even those who have long moved away from the location of the incident.
The author suggests that while violence and hate are prevalent in society, it is crucial to maintain love, joy, peace, and beauty within oneself, which can be found in the natural world.

Views of the heavens?

In Spanish the word, ‘cielo’ is used to refer to the sky, the heavens and the expansive outdoors. The Spanish word, ‘vista,’ means view. So ‘cielo vista’ means, view of the sky, the heavens and the expansive outdoors.

What the heck kind of name is that for a shopping mall? When you are in a shopping mall with a roof over your head there is no view of the sky, the heavens. And being inside that big box you are as far away from the outdoors as you could possibly be.

I remember there was some discussion about that literal contradiction when the mall was being built but once the mall opened up no one cared what its moniker actually meant anymore.

I lived in El Paso from age eleven to age eighteen (and for another couple of years soon thereafter). I watched the Cielo Vista Mall being built. It was back when shopping malls were still a new concept and were still cool. After it opened I was one of 800,000+ people who converged on that mall regularly for intense doses of crass consumerism. I watched the very first Star Wars movie on the day it came out at the cineplex at that mall. I remember the incredibly gorgeous Latina who worked at the Pier 1 Imports. I shopped there a lot even though I rarely bought anything. I bought my first copy of the Tao te Ching at the Walden Books at that mall. My first wife and I bought our wedding rings at that mall. I once dropped acid and spent the trip at that mall simply watching people.

That was all over forty years ago. Currently, it has been around twenty years since I have even stepped foot in a mall. My feelings towards malls has drastically changed. Now I prefer the real ‘cielo vista.’ I prefer not to have a roof over my noggin and to not be in a box. I prefer to be in the great outdoors with a giant sky over me. Luckily, the closest mall to where I currently live is around three hundred miles away.

I have not thought about the Cielo Vista Mall in around forty years. El Paso was a fantastic place to grow up but it was also a fantastic place to leave forever. I did not just leave the nest but I left the entire city and so many memories from there fell down to the sediment at the bottom of my reservoir of memories.

But I sure as heck remembered Cielo Vista Mall yesterday when I heard about America’s latest mass shooting happening in El Paso at the Wal-Mart across the street from Cielo Vista Mall. (Back when I lived there there was no Wal-Mart across the street from the mall.) After hearing the name of the mall in the news Cielo Vista Mall memories came rising to the surface.

With reporting of mass shootings now being so regular in America we can get numb to it. I guess maybe I did. But when it happens in the neighborhood where you grew up it jolts you in a more profound way. Even though I haven’t lived there in decades and now live far away from there this latest shooting really hit home.

And it is something we can not run away from. In America home is where ever we happen to be. And hate, racism and violence are everywhere. The challenge is to keep it out of our hearts. When we need a dose of love, joy, peace, and beauty we can always view it out in nature under the glorious expansive sky.