{"id":20874,"date":"2025-11-05T14:02:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:02:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/letrasenlafrontera.org\/?p=20874"},"modified":"2025-11-05T14:02:27","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T14:02:27","slug":"en-la-encrucijada-un-cuento-de-juan-antonio-gonzalez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/letrasenlafrontera.org\/index.php\/2025\/11\/05\/en-la-encrucijada-un-cuento-de-juan-antonio-gonzalez\/","title":{"rendered":"“En la encrucijada”, un cuento de Juan Antonio Gonz\u00e1lez"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

::: En su comedido estilo, nos ofrece Juan Antonio Gonz\u00e1lez, celebrado este a\u00f1o como el autor del encuentro de Letras en la Frontera, una sabia meditaci\u00f3n sobre el transcurso de la vida.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

S<\/strong>ubes la vista hasta encontrar los travesa\u00f1os del techo. La fijas en ellos, intentando hacer memoria. Entre tanto, identificas cada nudo de cada viga. Constatas \u2014o al menos crees hacerlo\u2014 que el tiempo ha oscurecido su semblante: han pasado treinta a\u00f1os. Se oscurece tambi\u00e9n el tuyo. Recuerdas el motivo de construir una finca r\u00fastica, pero s\u00f3lida: tener d\u00f3nde acudir con la familia para celebrar en privado los acontecimientos: cumplea\u00f1os, fines de semana feriados, etc. La idea hab\u00eda sido tuya, y el tipo de construcci\u00f3n tambi\u00e9n. Lo hab\u00edas hecho para cimentar la uni\u00f3n familiar con la parentela. Siempre has apreciado la uni\u00f3n, ese v\u00ednculo que te identifica con causas comunes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insertas en el aparato estereof\u00f3nico un disco que tiene significado especial para ti. Intentas rememorar toda una vida productiva, y te das cuenta que el inicio tuvo lugar al terminar el posgrado, con la obtenci\u00f3n del primer empleo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al escuchar la melod\u00eda te identificas plenamente con el mensaje:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

En la primera parte de la jornada,<\/em>
hab\u00eda arenas y montes que escalar.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He recorrido el desierto en un corcel sin nombre;<\/strong><\/em>
se sent\u00eda bien estar lejos de la lluvia<\/em>
porque ac\u00e1 no hay qui\u00e9n te cause dolor<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Te adscribes completamente a la idea. Sientes que as\u00ed fue el inicio: situaciones inesperadas, dif\u00edciles y mucho trabajo. Aprecias los acordes sugerentes de las guitarras. Sientes haber cabalgado muchas leguas<\/em>. Te dejas ir en m\u00e1s recuerdos, muchos venturosos: impartir diferentes materias cada semestre, hasta dictar todo el curr\u00edculum de la carrera. A esas alturas, sientes que conoces a plenitud el perfil del egresado: has deambulado por las materias de especialidad, y las interrelaciones tem\u00e1ticas entre ellas\u2026 como en un corcel sin nombre, <\/em>seg\u00fan la melod\u00eda. Has iniciado una agenda de publicaciones que te llena de satisfacciones. Te has dado cuenta que escribir es el llamado, y has decidido priorizarlo entre las dem\u00e1s actividades inherentes al cargo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Con los a\u00f1os, has cimentado tu curr\u00edculum: te sientes satisfecho con los logros en distintos \u00e1mbitos del quehacer. Los ascensos de rango y los incrementos salariales meritorios lo han atestiguado. Est\u00e1s a la vanguardia con respecto a los requisitos magisteriales; te sientes satisfecho. Agradeces a la vida el haberte dado la oportunidad de realizar tus sue\u00f1os al constituirte en un veh\u00edculo para que las pr\u00f3ximas generaciones puedan lograr sus objetivos. El panorama siempre se ha visto venturoso. Curiosamente, ahora escuchas \u201cVentura Highway\u201d del mismo conjunto. Pareces dar respuesta a las interrogantes que propone la canci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dime cuanto tiempo vas a estar por aqu\u00ed\u2026<\/em>
Hay quienes dicen que este sitio<\/em>
no es propicio durante el invierno<\/em>.
\u00bfEstar\u00e1s esperando que se cumpla un deseo <\/em>
ante la visualizaci\u00f3n de una estrella errante<\/em>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Al pasar los decenios has cre\u00eddo alcanzar a visualizar tus a\u00f1os dorados: compartir el aula con los estudiantes de carrera, continuar la senda rica de las publicaciones acad\u00e9micas y seguir el apostolado entre los colegas m\u00e1s j\u00f3venes con la idea de que te adscriban el t\u00edtulo de Em\u00e9rito.  \u00bfQu\u00e9 m\u00e1s podr\u00edas esperar despu\u00e9s de una entrega incondicional a la profesi\u00f3n?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Y ahora est\u00e1s aqu\u00ed; no en plan de celebraci\u00f3n, sino debido a los acontecimientos, los \u00faltimos. Te encuentras sentado en el sill\u00f3n, aqu\u00e9l que adquiriste antes que los dem\u00e1s muebles. Recuerdas haberlo situado con vista hacia el ventanal del frente, para dominar la llegada del camino. Ahora, ahora\u2026 querr\u00edas dominar el panorama de tu vida. Mientras contin\u00faas escuchando la m\u00fasica, tomas el libro que est\u00e1 en la mesita adjunta, apartas el marcador que se ubica en la p\u00e1gina 44, y lees\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n


44<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ser\u00eda un caso dif\u00edcil. Se trataba  de\u2026 un buen profesor. Un caso t\u00edpico. Se hab\u00eda dedicado m\u00e1s<\/em> a la   ense\u00f1anza que a la investigaci\u00f3n y eso no contaba para la administraci\u00f3n universitaria, ni para sus colegas departamentales que lo evaluar\u00edan ese d\u00eda\u2026 Ni los profesores<\/em> minoritarios del departamento lo   apoyar\u00edan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nadie quer\u00eda arriesgar el pellejo. Algunos no lo apoyar\u00edan porque quer\u00edan quedar bien con la<\/em> administraci\u00f3n o con el jefe del departamento. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vaya situaci\u00f3n, repasas\u2026 Valoras\u2026  Recuerdas la lectura inicial del texto, har\u00e1 unos 30 a\u00f1os. Percibes cierta afinidad: sobre todo, en lo \u00faltimo. No por nada Rosaura, la autora,  tambi\u00e9n cohabita el medio. Las situaciones, sin embargo, no son coincidentes en su totalidad, pero s\u00ed hay semejanzas: y, muchas. Se avecina un trance similar, eso s\u00ed; lo intuyes. Vuelves a fijar la vista en el texto, ahora en la p\u00e1gina 45. Lees\u2026                         <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                                                                                                            <\/em>45<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bien sabes que para los que tienen palancas no hay estorbos.<\/em> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alzas la vista nuevamente. Meditas. <\/em>Crees estar preparado, y repasas nuevamente los acontecimientos. Te sientes con todos los derechos del mundo de pertenecer a ese club exclusivo de los puntales de la academia. Sigues leyendo en la p\u00e1gina 45\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026hab\u00eda alcanzado el nivel m\u00e1s alto de profesor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

En su departamento. Y eso porque hab\u00eda sabido trabajar duro y abrirse camino\u2026 como profesor capacitado, excelente en su campo, con una lista<\/em> de publicaciones en su expediente. <\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tu trabajo te ha costado llegar, para poder disfrutar de sus canonj\u00edas: cursos avanzados, desarrollo en un \u00e1rea af\u00edn a tus intereses profesionales\u2026 Pertenecer a ese grupo que a\u00fan mantiene v\u00ednculos con publicaciones arbitradas no es poca cosa, aunque m\u00e1s han sido los logros por tu empe\u00f1o de no saber claudicar ante las dificultades, indistintamente de nivel y magnitud. Los resultados son evidentes: producciones de primera, con contribuyentes muy preponderantes en su campo. Tu equipo de apoyo, forjado en el yunque de la amistad, tambi\u00e9n ha colaborado sin distinci\u00f3n de tiempo, espacio o itinerario.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has conseguido tal apego a la escolaridad que en cada c\u00e1tedra florecen ideas que se vinculan al quehacer creador. Tu propia obra acumula haberes a pesar de las agendas desafiantes, muchas veces elaboradas a prop\u00f3sito. Es un hecho de que desde hace mucho tiempo has encontrado la raz\u00f3n de tu ambular: entregar nuevos senderos, con bifurcaciones, para preparar en el aula portadores de la antorcha; ya que has abierto trillos, no los quieres acaparar, sino verlos plenos de itinerarios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sin embargo, aunque sientes que desde la frontera de tu estancia temporal, has acercado las fronteras del mundo acad\u00e9mico a los correligionarios \u2014colegas y alumnos\u2014,  no  est\u00e1s del todo satisfecho con tus logros. Sin querer adelantar v\u00edsperas, sientes que lo mejor est\u00e1 a\u00fan por ocurrir, que antes de la llegada a la frontera de la vida, has vivaqueado en la frontera de tu medio para situarte en posici\u00f3n privilegiada. Y como dijera don Alfonso Reyes ante la adversidad: \u201clos citas a la nueva primavera\u201d. Vuelves a fijar la mirada en el libro; ahora en la p\u00e1gina 46\u2026                                                                                                                                             <\/p>\n\n\n\n

46<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No era una sensaci\u00f3n nueva. Lo nuevo era reconocerlo. Se hab\u00eda refugiado en la apariencia de ser      parte del grupo acad\u00e9mico mayoritario. Y ahora\u2026 ni formaba parte del c\u00edrculo acad\u00e9mico departamental   ni formaba parte de la comunidad minoritaria. Su alienaci\u00f3n era completa.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interrumpes tu lectura al escuchar el inicio de la \u00faltima melod\u00eda del disco. Se titula  \u201cLonely People\u201d.  Es tu canci\u00f3n favorita\u2026 de tu grupo favorito. Sigues el mensaje inicial ingres\u00e1ndolo a tu situaci\u00f3n.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Esta es para todas las personas solitarias<\/em>
que piensan que la vida se les est\u00e1 pasando <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No se den por vencidas hasta beber del c\u00e1liz de plata<\/em>
y viajar por el sendero hacia el infinito\u2026<\/em>     <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sientes una pellada en el alma, te concentras en la melod\u00eda hasta que finaliza; aprecias sus acordes ac\u00fasticos: el rasgueo de la guitarra, interrumpido por la voz propositiva del cantante que a su vez es interrumpido, en determinado momento, por una harm\u00f3nica que pausa la oralidad antes de verse interrumpida por un piano que puntualiza otras notas musicales. Escuchas y aprecias el mensaje y el acompa\u00f1amiento. Al finalizar, regresas a lo tuyo: te dispones a coligar fronteras: el mundo no es redondo y has llegado al borde, o te han llevado hasta all\u00ed. Por fin muestras tu lado m\u00e1s humano: vacilas ante la disyuntiva de saltar al abismo o virar para buscar otra direcci\u00f3n, una que te lleve a \u201carremangarte las mangas\u201d, como Rosaura S\u00e1nchez lo hab\u00eda sugerido un cuarto de siglo atr\u00e1s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El camino hacia la vivienda se ve solo: concluyes que debe ser por la hora; dentro de poco estar\u00e1 pleno del traj\u00edn caracter\u00edstico. Esto te da confianza sobre tu propio trayecto; piensas que estar\u00e1 tambi\u00e9n pleno de gente af\u00edn que apreciar\u00e1 el tr\u00e1nsito por los nuevos senderos. Ante tal perspectiva, dejas escapar el libro de tus manos y te pones a esperar\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

que se haga justicia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2248<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the Crossroads<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                                                              <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You lift your eyes and see the beams of the roof. You fix your gaze on them, trying to remember. In the meantime, you identify every knothole on each thick board. You notice, or at least you think you do, that time has darkened their appearance: thirty years have passed. Your appearance has also darkened.  You remember the reason why you built this rustic but solid cabin, to have a place to go with your family to celebrate in private those special events: birthdays, holiday weekends, etc. It had been your idea, and the kind of construction too. You had done it to cement the family union with your relations. You\u2019ve always appreciated union, that link that identifies you with common causes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You insert a cd in the stereo, one that has always had special meaning for you. You try to go over in memory an entire life of productivity, and you realize that the beginning started at the end of getting your graduate degree, getting your first position.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Listening to the tune you identify completely with the message:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the first part of the journey\u2026<\/em>
there was sand and hills and rings\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name
It felt good to be out of the rain
In the desert you can remember your name
‘Cause there ain’t no one for to give you no pain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You completely agree with the idea. You feel like that was the way it was in the beginning: unexpected, difficult situations, and a lot of work. You listen to the suggestive chords of the guitars. You feel as if you\u2019ve ridden a lot of miles.<\/em> You let yourself go into more memories, many fortunate: teaching many different courses each semester, until you had taught the entire department\u2019s curriculum. By this time, you feel that you fully know the profile of every graduate, you\u2019ve wandered through the subjects of the discipline, and the thematic interrelations between them\u2026like a horse with no name, <\/em>according to the song. You\u2019ve begun a series of publications that you\u2019re proud of. You\u2019ve realized that writing is a calling and that you want to give this priority over the other activities inherent to your job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, you\u2019ve built up your resume, you feel satisfied with your accomplishments in different parts of your career. Your job promotions and merit raises are testimony to that fact. You\u2019re at the forefront in teaching methods, you\u2019re proud of that. You\u00b4re thankful that life has given you the opportunity to realize your dreams, to turn you into a vehicle so that the next generation can obtain their goals. The panorama has always looked promising. Strangely enough, you are now listening to “Ventura Highway” by the same band. You seem to be answering the questions that the song poses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tell me, how long you gonna stay here\u2026
Some people say this town don’t look
good in snow\u2026
Wishin\u2019 on a falling star<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the decades have passed you think you\u2019ve come to see what your golden years will be like: sharing the classroom with the students in your field, continuing on the rich path of academic publications, giving guidance to younger colleagues so as to feel deserving of being named Professor Emeritus. What else could you expect after an unconditional dedication to your profession?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now you\u2019re here, not to celebrate anything but because of these last events. You find yourself in an armchair, the first piece of furniture you bought for the place. You remember having set it where sitting there you could look through the large window at the front of the cabin, to gaze over the road that leads to this spot. Now how you\u2019d like to look over the panorama of your life. Meanwhile you keep listening to the music. You take up the book that is lying on the side table, you pull the bookmark set at page 44 aside and read:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

44<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was certain to be a difficult case. It was about\u2026a good enough professor\u2026A typical case.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He\u2019d spent too much time teaching and not enough doing research and everyone knew that teaching wasn\u2019t what really counted for the administration or for the department colleagues who would be reviewing his file that day\u2026 Even the minority faculty would not be supportive. No one wanted to risk his skin. Some wouldn\u2019t back him because they wanted to gain favor with the campus administration or with the department chair.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What a mess. You think. You remember the first time you read the text, some thirty years ago. You find a certain affinity: especially in the end part. Not for nothing did Rosaura also live in this environment. The situations, nevertheless, do not coincide in their entirety, but there are similarities, and many of these. A comparable difficulty is approaching, you can feel it. You fix your sight on the text once again, now on page 45. You read\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLook, you know as well as I that if you\u2019ve got the right connections there\u2019s no problem with anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You lift your gaze again. You reflect. You think you\u00b4re prepared and go over the events again. You feel as if you\u00b4ve every right in the world to belong to that exclusive club of the pillars of academia. You keep on reading on page 45:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

45<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026He was a senior professor in his department, the highest rank. But that was because he knew how to work hard and blaze a trail for himself\u2026as an outstanding professor, someone to reckon with in his field; a scholar with a long list of publications.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has cost you work to arrive, to enjoy the canonries, the perks: advanced courses, development in an area related to your professional interests\u2026 To belong to that group that still maintains links with juried publications is no small thing, although more of your accomplishments have been due to your determination to not know how to give in to obstacles, regardless of their level and magnitude. The results are evident: first class productions, with collaborators highly regarded in their field. Your support group, forged on the anvil of friendship, has also collaborated despite the limits of time, space or itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You have obtained such an attachment to scholarship that in each course you teach ideas blossom that are linked to creativity.  Your own work grows in volume despite challenging schedules, often purposefully drawn up. It\u00b4s a fact that since a long time ago you\u00b4ve found the purpose to your wandering: to point out new paths, with several forks, to prepare in the classroom carriers of the torch; now that you\u00b4ve opened trails, you don\u00b4t want to save them for yourself, but to see them full of pilgrims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, although you feel that from the border of your temporary stay, you\u00b4ve brought the frontiers of the academic world closer to your fellow believers, colleagues and students, you are not completely satisfied with your accomplishments. Without wanting to look too far ahead, you feel that the best is yet to come, that before arriving at the frontier of life you have taken shelter in the frontier of your medium to place yourself in a privileged position. And as don Alfonso Reyes would say before adversity: \u201cyou summon them to the new springtime\u201d. You fix your gaze once more on the book, now on page 46\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

46<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe alienation was not entirely a new sensation. What was new was that he recognized it for what it was. He had hidden behind the notion that he was a full-fledged member of the dominant academic community. Now\u2026 he was neither in with the departmental academic circle nor did he have a place in the minority community. His alienation was complete.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You interrupt your reading to listen to the last song on the cd. It\u2019s called “Lonely People”.<\/em> It\u2019s your favorite song\u2026from your favorite group. You take note of the first message, bringing it into your situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is for all the lonely people
Thinking that life has passed them by
Don’t give up until you drink from the silver cup
And ride that highway in the sky<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

You feel a sting in the soul. You pay attention to the tune until it ends, you appreciate its acoustic chords, the strumming of the guitar, interrupted by the purposeful voice of the singer who is in turn interrupted at a specific moment by a harmonica that pauses the orality before finding itself interrupted by a piano that punctuates the melody with other musical notes. You listen and appreciate the message and the accompaniment. When it\u2019s over you return to what you are doing; you set out to join together borders: the world is not round and you\u2019ve arrived at the edge, or they\u2019ve brought you there. Finally you show your most human side: you hesitate before the quandary of either jumping into the abyss or turning to search for another direction, one that would make you, \u201croll up your sleeves\u201d like Rosaura S\u00e1nchez had suggested a quarter of a century ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The road to the cabin looks empty; you conclude it must be because of the time; in a little while it will be filled with the usual traffic. This gives you confidence regarding your own trajectory, you think that it will also be full of like-minded people that will appreciate traveling down the new pathways. Before such a perspective, you let the book slip through your hands and you start waiting\u2026 for justice to be done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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