Winning Wednesday 💪🏾 | Truth Over Theatrics in Puerto Vallarta

When someone says, “I feel safe,” the only thing you can really do is believe them — unless there are clear signs of distress.

Safety is personal. It’s emotional. It’s environmental. It’s lived.

Let me be clear: when I was living in the United States, I felt like I was dying a very slow, painful death on the inside. That was my experience. Not everyone saw it. Not everyone understood it. And truthfully, most people couldn’t have — because I knew how to play the part.

I knew how to smile.
I knew how to function.
I knew how to go along to get along.

On the outside, everything looked fine. On the inside, it wasn’t.

So I made a change.

And when I moved to Puerto Vallarta, it caused alarm.

People worried when there was no immediate reason to worry. Some were concerned out of love — and I respect that. Others, however, seemed almost braced for disaster. It felt like a few were waiting for the hammer to drop just to say:

“I told you not to move there.”
“I knew it was a bad idea.”
“Just wait — something’s going to happen.”

Now let’s talk about what actually did happen.

The events of Sunday, February 22 in Puerto Vallarta were scary — for some, not all.

Vehicles were burned.
City buses were emptied and then set on fire.
Convenience stores were looted and damaged.

That is the truth.

Another truth? People were pulled out, not violently, of vehicles before they were burned. Passengers were removed from buses before they were set on fire. The common theme in those specific incidents: no human lives were targeted.

Again — that does not minimize the fear some people felt. Fear is real. Shock is real. Trauma responses are real.

But facts matter too.

And here’s something else worth noting — just 1.5 short weeks later, some of the affected buildings are already being cleaned out. Secondhand damage is being reversed. Operations in many areas resumed quickly. There is a noticeable appreciation among many expats living in PV because, personally, I have never seen a government activate so quickly to secure areas, increase visible presence, and restore order.

That doesn’t mean everything is perfect.
That doesn’t mean incidents can’t happen.
That doesn’t mean people shouldn’t stay aware.

What it does mean is this: response matters.

Could it have been different? Absolutely.

But the most horrific things you can imagine can happen anywhere in the world — including your hometown. Including cities people consider “safe.” Including places you would never question.

The possibility is always there.

Here’s the WIN:

You cannot live your life based on hypotheticals.
You cannot argue current events based on “what could happen.”
And you cannot be upset when your assumptions don’t materialize.

We live in a time where sensationalism spreads faster than truth. Where speculation is packaged as certainty. Where fear sells.

But I refuse to build narratives around misinformation or unverified rumors simply because they make a better story.

If something is factual, say that.
If information is limited, say that.
If more details are coming, say that.

“It’s fine to report what you know to be factual and state — this is all we have right now. More information will come as it is verified.”

Integrity still matters.

Discernment still matters.

Balanced conversations still matter.

My Winning Wednesday reminder is this:

Choose truth over theatrics.
Choose discernment over drama.
Choose peace over projections.
Choose lived experience over loud opinions.

I feel safe.

That doesn’t mean I’m naïve.
That doesn’t mean I’m unaware.
It means I am grounded in my reality — not someone else’s fears.

And that is my truth. 💛