On Becoming a Better Man, Human, and Father
As an immigrant kid with almost no English skills, my pencil and paper allowed me to create a world where all the characters spoke my language. In my mind, I found refuge. An old friend told me he had to drag me out of the house to play. As the years passed, I mastered the English language and continued developing my drawing chops. I imagine I must have put in thousands of hours. Then I...
So, I’ve been in Florida for the past 7 days and while out here I have made some personal observations. In the process I have decided to make some changes in my life and lifestyle. I have also made a few personal commitments (see list below) I feel as if this trip has allowed me a chance to think. A LOT! Beaches, dolphins, islands, blue skies, new people all seem to have jolted my mind...
It's just not possible. We influence those around us. Sometimes with our word. Sometimes not. Sometimes we persuade. Sometimes we anger. Yet we influence.
It wasn’t an easy decision. I have two precious daughters that depend on me to provide for them. The decision was painful. SERIOUSLY! I remember my gut hurting and my mind aching. There were so many things to consider and so many things to fear. What’s that stat about new businesses? 9 out of 10 fail or something along those lines. I crunched the numbers and figured out the amount of...
Thank you to all of you that have been a part of my journey.
Some of you have shared a classroom with me.
Many of you have shared a laugh. On a rare occasion I may have even had a drink with you.
She said:
Daddy I miss you, and when I see you, I’m gonna kiss you.
He said:
In life there are no such things as real friends.
She said:
I don’t know where I’d be without you. I wouldn’t have known where to begin.
She said:
You always make me smile.
Yes! I don’t have a television yet I was on TV. All my loyal readers may remember that I was mentoring in my community 😉 I have continued to mentor and have a blast getting to know my mentee. The leader at the LULAC Center where I meet with my mentee, Otis Gray, asked me a couple of weeks if I would be open to doing an interview with Univision 23 Noticias (Spanish television) Of course I...
It is a beautiful day to say
I miss you and when I see you
well…I’m going to kiss you.
It’s a beautiful day to say I care.
Because with each passing day
I become wiser and find a new gray hair.
And the wiser I become
the more I realize there’s no day like today
and there’s no days to spare.
I was inspired after reading a post by the lovely Ashley Ambirge on her blog The Middle Finger Project (Yes, the nerve!)
She challenged her readers to go out and hula hoop in public and make fools of themselves for a 100-dollar reward! (yes, the nerve!)
One year ago, on March 1st, I quit my job as a retail manager for a grocery store. It was not a lucrative job by any means, but it was one that I did enjoy because it allowed me to be around people. I know that sounds crazy, but I actually do like people even if it means putting up with cranky folks. But I was tired of it as well. I needed something new. I was not an expert, but I was pretty good...
On Becoming a Better Man, Human, and Father