La Virgin del Panacillo

DSCN2055
Originally uploaded by Cameron/Duff.

We finally went up the hill (el Panacillo- little bread loaf)to see my virgin. She was everything I wanted. She is so beautiful with her features more human than all those overly white sweet conquest paintings of Mary (although I like those, too, especially when she wears a crown of stars). Chickzilla has been confused by this love of mine for Mary, and as we gazed up at this big metal statue of her with the Earth beneath her feet i tried to explain. Mary is the mother of us all, and in my earth loving ways I can relate to this- it is a little bit of European paganism that snuck into catholocism. The god of my upbringing was harsh and sent people to hell. Jesus was supposed to change all that, but I don´t see it in modern protestantism. I love the thought of all these people holding a nurturing mother so close to their hearts, especially here in the old town where the machismo seems to hold many men I interact with from experiencing themselves. So, I´m down with the virgin mother (although i doubt she was really a virgin) and I´m glad she looks over Quito.