Tag: Life

Sports during the Pandemic, an overview from my Point of View

Posted on by anele25

 

Today is August 9th 2020 and it has almost been 5 months since the Pandemic known as COVID-19 started around the world. It’s also been a few weeks since sports started back up with professional sports in 3 of the big 4 starting back up again. I wanted to cover just how different and even unique sports has been since it returned. At first, I was unsure on how to feel on sports making a return with families, players, owners, coaches, umpires, referees, and even announcers effected in each way. I was impressed at first by each sports’ respective response to players if they contacted COVID and how they handled those manners. I saw how different each league’s bubbles were and some have had some immediate impact. For example, in the NHL they have decided to go about in playing in hub cities which give or take has improved the quantity of players infected (to date no positive cases since the round robin and play-in rounds have started). In the NBA, they decided to move the rest of their season to Orlando where teams would play for seeding and even though some players there ended up contacting COVID early on, have done an excellent job in keeping the cases low and have gone 3 weeks without a reported case.

 

MLB on the other hand has had some bad luck with a number of cases affecting teams such as the St. Louis Cardinals and the Miami Marlins. If MLB wants to do a better job of keeping this virus under control, I think what would be best would be monitor certain protocols and if players are truly following them. I think this can be done with the help of a quality officer who deals in the public health field and keeps track of who is following these rules and who is not. This would security and safety to players and their families and would ensure a smoother transition to the playing field itself. This would be an added plus and would a better integrity on how the game is played. In my opinion, I hope this doesn’t lead to a major outbreak throughout the entire league and thus gives the green light for the season to be suspended. But what about the other factors for these teams and players?

 

During these times, I have seen first the effect of no fans in the stands. This is surprisingly added some intrigue in all sports where we can hear the coaches, players, and the announcers discussing things that come up during a sporting event. During hockey, we can hear when a team is making a shift from one line to the next and we may see a scuffle for the puck in the neutral zone or offensive zone and try to back it out their way to get one in the net. In baseball and basketball, we may hear when a player gets frustrated and curses up and down on how he should have gotten the ball out of his hands on time or perhaps a player in baseball misses a ball down and in when that was clearly ball 4. Another unique thing that I have noticed is how much may players adjust to not seeing their families as much being in a hub city or if a player is on during baseball season how do they adjust to not seeing their families for an extended period of time when they are on the road. The families and friends that are within a sports team may also be used to each other’s company and may miss that connection of checking up on each other and enjoying that camaraderie. The other thing that I was thinking about is how much are the equipment that players play with and is it sanitized properly before and after. I would think that there is some protocol where the basketballs, the pucks, and the baseballs get sanitized or dehumidified after play so they can be ready for use for the next day. I’m also curious to see how the NFL and college football handles this issue of using different balls throughout the course of a game but we’ll cross that bridge once we get there (more on that in a future blog hopefully). I had something that has popped in my mind the last few days, and that has been how much testing has been throughout the leagues in play. I myself have been tested 3 times in the past few months for COVID-19 and thankfully have been negative each time.

 

The one factor that comes into play is something as simple as catering or delivering food to a team. The person bringing the food has been in contact with so many people or someone who has a preexisting condition may come in contact and get even sicker so that in itself adds some fear. That person can be sick and in turn get a whole team sick. I also think sports though have brought some good for all of us who are fans. This also adds to the uniqueness of all these sports returning. For example, in the NHL four teams ended up making the playoffs themselves based on the play-in rounds and these teams were dead in the water at season’s end (although one can argue that the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Chicago Blackhawks still had a shot at a wildcard at least). The teams that ended up floundering were the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I think this gives the image that nothing is guaranteed in the playoffs and you better be on your best game whenever a best of 5 or 7 comes up. The major stars have been struck aside such as John Tavares, Auston Matthews, Sidney Crosby, Conor McDavid, Roman Josi, and Matt Murray all sit home and watch some other team take their glory.

 

I also have seen how the NBA has handled their seeding with some play in games as well and their scoring has been up like nobody’s business and I would imagine this would add some intrigue as well. MLB recently announced a few weeks ago that they would be expanding the playoffs to 8 teams per league and this gives the chance to below .500 teams to make the playoffs. I do enjoy this idea because it adds more viewership per market and gives the MLB a chance to expand to the casual fan. I have also seen that some players in baseball may have to get their bodies adjusted to a 60 game season. Some major names such as Mike Soroka, Corey Kluber, Giancarlo Stanton, and Tim Anderson have already gone down with injuries. This goes to show you that maybe having a 60 game season will not result in complete success. Players have to also adjust to staying firm and consistent with their approach at the plate as evidenced by some players getting off to slower than usual starts at the plate. These names include Christian Yelich, Anthony Rendon, Khris Davis, Jose Altuve, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Alonso. My friends and I have an increased awareness of how tickets, merchandise, and hardworking people have also been affected. I remember I usually attend anywhere between 7-10 sporting events per year but now that is all gone. The vendors that were there and the men and women at the merchandise stand working, it pains me to think that they too have had to go through hardships during the pandemic. We as people do end up missing the men and women there because to us, they may be complete strangers but they almost become a part of the team. I remember every time I go to a food stand how friendly and welcoming the people behind the register are. The identity of what the team is and their makeup. When I think of an Oakland A’s game, a Tampa Bay Lightning game, or a Las Vegas Raider game you think of all the merchandise stands and the food stands. You can also say that at sporting events you can end up tailgating with friends and family. The last tailgate I had was with my girlfriend’s family and little did I know it would be the last for a while. I remember also having a nacho helmet at an A’s game and some chicken tenders with fries at the Lightning game and this gives that resonance of being at a game and cheering on your team.

 

I didn’t touch on the Raiders because their case is unique in that the city of Las Vegas has embraced them but unfortunately, they won’t have a chance to have that same experience. I can only imagine that once sports with fans return we’ll have a chance to see that again. I want to end this blog by touching on one last thing. With sports back, I think this has brought me to appreciate these players more because yes they do this for a living but they are putting more than just their bodies on the line. I learned an important lesson from a friend this past February when I went to Fanfest for the Oakland Athletics. These players are human and they have families too that they feed. Now, add COVID-19 on top of that and they give us more than they should. I’m thankful that they are also doing their part by not giving high fives and instead elbow bumping. We see these men and women as superhuman but they are doing this for our entertainment and so far so good with some teams playing well and some teams playing not so well.

 

Either way, it’s fantastic to have sports back and it is going to be exciting to see how the rest of these seasons will be in every sport. I hope to come back and write a mini piece on football is when and if it returns. For now, I’m intrigued to see how my boys from the Tampa Bay Lightning do against the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2nd year in a row and looking to avenge last year’s playoff upset. As for the Oakland A’s, it’s great to see that we have now won 9 in a row and maybe just maybe that speaks hope for what is ahead for not just the A’s but for everyone around the world that has been affected by COVID-19.

NXT Takeover: Wargames II…

Posted on by anele25

It’s the day before Thanksgiving and one of the things I am thankful for is great wrestling. This past week I have had the opportunity to watch some of the NXT product and it gets me excited to watch wrestling. This year I have also attended two of New Japan’s show, one in Los Angeles and the other in San Francisco. Both shows also reignited something inside me to love wrestling on a different level. The wrestling I grew up with not only gave me characters, funny storylines, and action but they also gave me nostalgia. This product that I am watching now gives me a glimpse into how wrestling is now with storylines that build up to a crescendo with a payoff. The one thing that both the NXT and the New Japan product does is show me how much of a good feeling it gives you to see action in its purist form. The particular show I want to touch on is NXT Takeover: Wargames II. The particular show took place in Los Angeles at the Staples Center. I’ll have a few pictures down below to highlight some of the characters that I will be talking about.

The four matches on the card (well besides the surprise at the beginning of Matt Riddle vs Kassius Ohno which went 6 seconds) were as follows: Undisputed Era (Bobby Fish, Adam Cole, Roderick Strong, and Kyle O’ Reilly) vs Rowe and Hanson (War Raiders) Ricochet and Pete Dunne in the classic War Games match. The match itself takes places inside a steel cage that surrounds two wrestling rings. The team with the man advantage (example would be there could be a 2 on 1 advantage or a 3 on 2 advantage) was the Undisputed Era who were the bad guys in the match in this dual until both teams were in the ring with the rules being that if anyone from either team left the steel cage that team would forfeit the match for their team. The only way to win the match would be to submit someone from the opposing team or pin them otherwise. I really liked the match with a devastation of moves from both sides with backbreakers, suplexes, backflips, and use of weapons. The match itself went 47 minutes with some of the highlights including a 650 splash from the top of the cage of sorts from Richochet onto 7 of the competitors in the match. I also enjoyed some of the aspects of the match with using the ‘smaller’ guys in Undisputed to be thrown around by the War Raiders from one ring to the other. I also enjoyed how O’Reilly and Strong worked together in the match to take down Ricochet and the War Raiders with some chops kicks, suplexes, and some backbreakers. This was the 2nd time that the WWE version did their version of the original NWA invention back in the 1980’s. The story was built in and it didn’t have to have too much complication to it. Something I did not mention before hand was that both teams started at one point or another had their team members inside these small cages so that they would not leave before it was there turn to enter the ring (a new member would enter every 3 minutes). One of the other highlights (related to the previous sentence) was waiting for Dunne from the War Raiders and Richochet team was held inside the cell before he would come out and he was locked inside by Bobby Fish of the Undisputed Era. Eventually, some refs came down to free Dunne from the cage with some boltcutters. Honestly, it delivered but probably my only gripe was that it went 12-13 minutes too long and it could have gone a little less time had it not been with the story being played that Dunne was locked inside the cage. The finishing sequence saw Dunne hit his finisher the Bitter End and afterwards Richochet hit Adam Cole with a splash from the top. I would watch this again for my own entertainment.

The second match that went on was Johnny Gargano vs Aleister Black. This to me was tied with the other match that I wanted to review which was Velveteen Dream vs Tomasso Ciampa both matches delivered in their own unique way. I felt the story in the Gargano/Black match was that Gargano had laid out Black a few months before and Black was now out for revenge. The reason he had attacked him was because for most of the year Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa had been fighting over the NXT Championship. Well, Black was inserted into their match at the previous NXT Takeover in New York and now Gargano felt that was rather unfair. He himself saw it as a heroic act but in reality it was selfish of him to do so. Now we were here and boy was it ever a classic. The one thing that may get overlooked in the match is how psychology plays into the match. Both wrestlers had a knack in the match to ask the other wrestler to come at them with their best shot until they realized that they were just messing with them and wanted to just play with their emotions.  They hit their signature dives, suplexes, and slams but what impressed me the most is how well the two gelled in the ring together. I enjoyed how Black kept up with Gargano’s cheap shots by coming back with a fiery comeback one after another. The match from what I can recollect was the first time that they had wrestled each other. We saw how well also Gargano has officially become “Johnny Takeover” by now participating in his 11th Takeover which is now an official record. The match itself did wonders for both because we saw the evil diabolical Gargano got what was coming to him after Black hit the Black Mass. Defintely a classic that I would watch again and who cares if they didn’t sell in the match.

The next match I wanted to talk about was Tomasso Ciampa vs Velveteen Dream and my gosh this match was just as awesome as the previous match. I enjoyed how the veteran Ciampa kept giving Dream everything he could in the match. Both men were trying to outdo each other by taunting each other with their poses and what not. Dream kept coming back and the crowd was right behind him every step of the way. He in fact used a figure four leg lock reminiscent of the Ric Flair and Bret Hart days of using a figure four leg lock. He even used a Hulk Hogan Leg Drop that got me jumping me out of my seat. The match itself ended because we saw how overanxious Dream got because he was so close to winning the match itself with his elbow drop and his finish. He worked so that his charisma could shine right through. I remember when the show Tough Enough was still airing and he got cut from the show and somehow I felt that he would become a superstar. Lo and Behold here he was in a prominent spot on one of the biggest shows of the year. I enjoyed how once Dream hit his finish and then his elbow off the top rope that he had it down to a second and he could have won. Once Dream missed his elbow drop again Ciampa got up and his finish the Fairytale Ending. What a Match!

The last match I want to review is Kairi Sane vs Shayna Baszler for the NXT Women’s championship match which delivered again with some hard hitting moves and on both sides there was interference from Baszler’s side and also Sane’s side as well. The match was 2 out of 3 falls. The 1st fall was won by Baszler and the 2nd by Sane and then lastly by Baszler.  I liked how they kept putting on holds so that the other would not escape. These two whenever they wrestle we know something crazy is going to happen and this was no different. Sane I thought would end up winning but in fact I was wrong because she got help at the end from Io Shirai and Dakota Kai and Baszler was assisted by her friends Jessica M Duke and Marina Shafir which helped the match because the two had had 4 matches previously and we had already seen several matches between them before hand. The match itself was impressive for what it was and this match itself was the opener for the card.

For everything that happened during the card itself, the Takeovers deliver and give you a special feeling whenever they come on because they are built up so well for the audience that is watching. I would recommend this for anyone that is looking for something to watch this weekend. Have a safe and happy thanksgiving everyone take care of your loved ones and give them a tight hug on this very special day that is coming up. Just in general, remember that those few precious hours you have together are good enough just to laugh and take everything in little by little life is too short (p.s. I posted a few pictures below of the Takeover event)

Image result for kairi sane vs shayna baszler nxt takeover wargames

Image result for shayna baszler vs kairi sane takeover

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

Image result for nxt takeover wargames

An adventure to Santa Cruz and Writing Prompt #16: write about an item that is not worth much money but has great value to you…

Posted on by anele25

A few weeks ago me and my friend  (now girlfriend) headed out to Santa Cruz to see the cool sights of what nature has to offer. We started out at Target in San Jose and we did a drive up first to a trail in San Jose that was named the Sierra Azul Preserve and we thought it would be a little more beautiful. As soon as we got to the parking lot there was a note that said to take our valuables with us because they were not sure if that location would be able to guarantee the safety of our valuables. The journey itself was quite interesting. We saw some horses along the trail and we also saw a few people who were hiking the trail for the experience.  We started huffing and puffing a little as we started getting up the trail. What I enjoyed in the trail was that there was peace and quiet. There is nothing better than having the opportunity to see nature and what it has to offer. At one point we found two folks who had apparently found gold on the side of the road. I found this pretty cool as we started getting closer to the middle of the location. A few months ago we were fortunate enough to see some redwoods as well and those themselves were quite the site. A few other places I also felt were a little more impressive such as the Purrisma trail in Half Moon Bay. We hiked for a good two hours before we we decided to head out to Santa Cruz after a while. My friend and I started wondering what other areas we could go to so we decided to explore the option of visiting the Mystery Spot. The Mystery Spot is quite old and holds something to it because you can be standing there and there can be no gravity when you go inside. Our tour lasted a good 45 minutes before we came to a head with some of the mysteries of the spot. How did it get there and what do some of the truths that were there and how many of them hold true.

I found it cool that some of these theories were outlined by the tour guide including but not limited to that some of the o-zone layer is moving around the location. We also see that some of what is there is odd because the spot itself is tilted at a 30 degree angle. The fact that it is an illusion also gives credence to the idea that there was a meteor that hit there years ago before everything came into play. I started to see that some of what the tour guides suggest may or not be true. For one, having an electromagnetic field which dictates whether or not the field under dictates whether or not it moves can be helpful towards the theory. The drive up there was quite lovely and the sites themselves were awesome. I was telling my friend along the way that doing things like these are only done once in a lifetime. I, for one, attest to the theory that the spot itself is at a unique position and can hold together at a tilted position. My friend was also apart of some of these demonstrations that were shown to give away this illusion. For example, if you move one person from one end to the other end you’ll see that having some of these demonstrations available will give people a different opportunity to see how they can maneuver around and give the illusion of height and potentially envision something different. Our tour guide also made the journey lighthearted and fun throughout our time there which made it even funner. He would make jokes about marijuana and also about the place itself and how it was constructed along the way. He was also nice enough to want to take a picture with us as well. There will be pictures available as well. Afterwards, we headed out to a place called 99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall which was also very good. We had popcorn shrimp, nachos, sweet potato fries, and some fish tacos. The entire time I was just thinking how appreciative I was of the whole experience. Not only was I able to do a nice walk with my friend but I was also able to explore the adventures of Santa Cruz with her as well. The food was delicious and afterwards we had some fun exploring some local spots around the area which included some jamba juice around the area. Next I wanted to talk a little about an item I’ve had for a while.

Back in 2005, my mom and I took a trip to the local flea market and I picked out what would be one of my favorite items that I have and that is my black beanie. The item itself has a value of about 10 dollars but to me it holds sentimental value because I have carried it pretty much anywhere. I remember a few months ago I was hanging out with a friend of mine and I thought I had lost the beanie, but there it was on the side of my seat. The reason I think it holds so much value is because I am able to fully hold an article of my past and present together with me for as long as I live. You can go through my articles of clothing and hats and beanies and that is one I will treasure because of how much I have seen events from high school all the way to my current life. I’ve seen births, deaths, new presidents, and even a move in my life with that beanie. Now, as I enter 30 I still carry the beanie with me and it still holds the same meaning as it did when I was 17. I hope that everyone has something out there that they treasure as much as this beanie. We’ll see if anything ever comes close to this item but to me it has held great value. I know it’s been a while since I’ve written on here but today I plan on doing two blogs. Oh and I wanted to leave some pictures of my adventure with my now girlfriend.

Adventures and the company of two great friends:

Posted on by anele25

The day is short and the months fly by fast. The thrill of adventure along with some great friends is something that comes once in a lifetime. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to do some adventure seeking out to Monterey bay with two of my friends Isela and Iveth. They started out as co-workers but they are two people whom I consider to be friends now. We started the day by myself driving to Isela’s apartment and we grabbed some blankets just in case it got cold near Monterey. As we packed everything away, we drove to go pick up Iveth who does not live too far away. We rode off into the sunset where we first got into a discussion about the famous show Game of Thrones. Myself and Iveth rambled on for a few minutes about the implications of the show as well as some of the intricacies of the show that can go on debate for years. I had a few theories about the show as did she and in all honesty, there are some things about GOT that frankly I can live knowing that may or may not be true (this will be discussed perhaps in a future blog). As we started getting closer, we talked about what we were going to eat and I have a thing where as I get closer I have a game where we look for a place to eat instead of having to be obliged to Yelp or not. We ended up settling on a Crepe place which actually was not half bad. We talked about life and a little bit of everything in between. At this point, we headed over to the paddleboats where we stuck around for an hour where we played some music and also had some other funny discussions about the direction where we were going in life. Isela, I would describe as someone who is sarcastic and witty and for that she makes me realize how lightly some things should be in life rather than all serious all the time and she know how to have a good life. Iveth, is a care free person who just wants to have fun and enjoys a good laugh.

I realized as we were paddling that another opportunity had arose in my life recently about a job and I saw how many great friends I had made and how much I would still like to see them to talk. The time passed and before I knew it we were back on land just off the boat and after it stumbled a bit but we were able to land safely as we got off. We originally said we were going to get on the wharf but then we saw how packed the parking was. Next we decided to head off to Lover’s Point which is famous for having places where you can take pictures for any special occasion that includes a wedding or a sweet sixteen. We did some walking on some rocks which by and large look intimidating at first but once you get passed the initial ones you get this beautiful view of everything that is front of you. We stayed there for a few minutes just enjoying the view and marveling at this sea otter that was down there. After, we decided instead to settle on driving to 17 mile but that also ended up being a bit more full due to it being the weekend. The 17 mile drive itself included a short pass by to Asiolmar beach where you could just see that beautiful trail that led to the end of the trail. As I passed by these locations, I thought how cool it would be to see some of these locations everyday and how peaceful it must be for people to live by the ocean. I also thought about living in the ocean and how you might be able to connect with the different aspects of nature. You have air, wind, fire, and water all practically in one. Air because as you sail away that is something that you breathe and then wind because a little wind can keep the current going. The fire is intriguing because you see a little bit of it around you as you sail away. The water is the ocean working its magic and taking you away.

Anyway, I suggested instead we go to Point Lobos which was not too far ahead. We parked a bit farther away and saw some of the insides of some of the animals where they would stay. Particularly, myself and Isela ended up exploring the beach a little more. I ended up seeing some crabs and also some small fishes. We walked a bit farther but we ended up seeing a beautiful view from the top and just took it all in at the end of the day. We walked back to the car and headed off to the next stop which was Carmel by the Sea which was an adventure unto itself as it had some pretty cool shops which included some body soap stores as well as some interesting watch shops which by and large were out of our price range. We walked for a bit before we reached our destination which was the beach itself. We dwelled a little deeper into each other lives as we heard a little more background information on what Isela’s living situation was like back in her time during college. I must say hearing her story made me see just how much living with someone can make a difference in how you perceive your current situation. The rest of the conversations that time of the beach felt relaxing just in general and I wondered about the times that were ahead for me and my friends. We headed off to the car and we had quite a climb back to the car and we got some good steps in at this location of Carmel by the sea as well as at Point lobos. Once we got in the car we headed back to the Wharf where we had a little easier time finding parking. We saw off to the side that there was a car auction that was going on. I started laughing a bit because of how fast the guy started talking and how fast these cars were driving. Once we got inside the wharf we saw how relatively small it was and there were some crab specialty restaurants that were giving out samples. We also got some coasters that serve as a little motivation to whoever buys them. I ended getting a dog one, a mountain one, and a campfire one. I think out of the ones I collected, I enjoy the campfire one the most because of the message it carries. If anyone is curious, I will post a picture of that coaster here as well as some other pictures.

We saw all the clam chowder that was being sold and we stopped at this little shop for some chowder. I ended up settling instead on some prawns and fries but funny enough the gentleman who served our food ended up bringing three chowders instead of two. He gave out the two that were for Isela and Iveth quickly and came back right away and asked me if I wanted the third so I said “sure why the hell not”. I had the quick reaction that it was some of the best food I had had in some time especially considering it was next to the ocean. Another delightful dinner as we walked along the wharf and saw everyone and the lights that were along the area. I left with the impression that this world is big and there are so many little treasures that are to be found inside it. I also saw just how cool and wonderful people can be when given the chance to go out and explore. Too many times we are concerned with the daily grind and leaving our houses on time that we forget how wonderful this world can be. We hopped in back into the car and had some fun times along the way as we sang our hearts out to some Los Tucanes de Tijuana as well as some other fun baile songs as well. Myself and Isela did a majority of the singing as we were having some good laughs along the way. After we got back to our destination, I went home thinking about all the special memories that had been made on 8/25/18. I also reflected back on the times that are ahead and special they are going to be as well. I may not be the richest person in the world but I have just enough to say that I can do anything in this world without too much hassle. I always say, if I can do something and I can find a way to do it, I will make it happen without too much complication. As promised, here are some pictures as well. Till next time adventures.

Writing prompts #14: Write about your first home: your childhood home or your first apartment or house of your own

Posted on by anele25

As far back as I can remember my family and I grew up in Sunnyvale, California. California in of itself is considered snobbish because of how high class it may be in a way but where we lived it was very diverse and full of life. I grew up in these apartments that were named “Palm Villa Apartments”, we lived in apartment number 29 and there are a few things I want to describe about the apartment. The door was blue and on the left-hand side there was a kitchen area with the oven on the left and the stove on the right and right in the middle was the refrigerator. I remember one of my fondest memories I have was having to grab sour cream from the refrigerator and putting it on some saltine crackers. I also remember my kitchen was white with these blue lines that were outlining the kitchen. The cupboards were filled with our plates, cups, and various other kitchen accessories. From the time I can remember, we have had this sharp kitchen knife that has a brown handle that has been around since that time. We have also always had these cooking sheets that we have used since we had that apartment. We also went through various phones as we had the rotary phone that you had to dial one by one in order to reach the person that you were trying to reach. We also had a hand-held phone that you would carry around everywhere you went. My mom told me a while back that she misses those days because she had various memories about that apartment because we would all eat like a family and now that everyone’s a little older its harder to sit down and eat like a family. In the living room, we had a tan carpet that was held together by this rug that was huge and from time to time we would spill some drinks on there. We also had a TV by the living room that was so tiny that it could be held together by this tiny display.

 

Outside, we had a balcony which featured this blue paint and a grey floor that for some reason had a brown piece of wood that was hanging by the edge. I realized just now that the brown piece of wood was probably there to hang laundry which was located just down a couple of minutes by our apartment. Then there was our shower which was relatively small compared to other bathrooms I have seen. The best part of the apartment to me was the rooms which were made up of these two rooms where my brother and I had our beds on the room to the right and then we had my parents’ room to the right. My parents room had this big closet that was facing towards the bed and then they had their mirror that was on the left which also served as a sort of dresser. Then we had some decorations that they have kept for some time. We had a radio that my dad still carries to this day and then we had this mirror that they had as part of their bed frame. The mirror that is a part of the bed frame is something I still use to this day. Looking back on some of those pictures that we still have, I start realizing how much I would fight with my friend and I would look out to the window and wonder why we were upset with each other. As time has gone on, I start to wonder about the room that my brother and I had as young teenagers. In our closet, we had my clothes to the right and we had my brothers’ clothes to the left. Inside, we had a closet that held everything together essentially. Once we got a TV inside of our room, we were off and running.

 

We would watch our anime and our wrestling inside that room and we also got a VCR in there which also helped manners as well. As the years went on and my brother started dating girls and I would remember those nights when he would talk to them and that is where I started seeing how to talk to girls. The best memories I have of that apartment are when I gather all of my friends together and we would start wrestling. We would gather inside of the living room and we would all perform our favorite wrestling moves. I would perform the sharpshooter usually and the rest of my friends would all perform their top rope moves. The coolest thing about having that apartment was that anytime someone came over I felt that they were a part of the family and not just any old person. As the years went on, the apartment suffered from wear and tear and started to lose some of the plumbing that had been installed of the bathroom. We ended up moving out in February of 2002 to another apartment in the same complex but after it did not feel the same. We would all leave for school or work and I started missing that old apartment that was a part of our childhood. I started also noticing that once we left the apartment something was missing because our group of friends had gotten smaller. No longer would we go next door and go visit each other like nobodies business. This was something that my friend Adrian had commented a while back. I also saw that this apartment was a bit more separated from everyone else. Eventually, we lived elsewhere around the area but nothing will ever be lost because of that apartment, I still carry around a stuffed animal from that time we lived there and I just wonder what it may look like today with all the raising rents that are going on in and around the bay area. I hope that one day I can go back there in that apartment and just see what else is left in there

Chicago and San Diego Trip…

Posted on by anele25

For the past week and a half, I have been out of work and the cities I ended up visiting were Chicago and San Diego. It was also my birthday month and I decided with two events coinciding with each other, I would take advantage of the time off. The two events were a Baseball game and a Wrestling event. It all started Wednesday night as me and my best friend Adrian left SFO on the way to Chicago. We landed Thursday morning and ended up taking public transit to our hotel. The first thing I noticed was how accessible everything in Chicago was. As we rode through the neighborhoods and through the suburbs, we started getting closer and closer to our destination. One thing that we did not account for however, was that we would get lost. We ended up on the wrong street and the bus driver was nice enough to redirect us. Adrian decided it would be best to take a Lyft to our hotel as we went to go drop off our luggage, we ended up leaving our luggage at the hotel and walked over to a breakfast spot that was pretty good for what it was. After this, we walked again to a bus stop and saw what was around town. For the better part of the afternoon, we ended up going to where Wrigley Field was and took a small tour of the ballpark itself. As I sat there, I was in awe of the different pieces of history that were in front of me from the Ivy and the bleachers that were there. Baseball, I love it because to the casual viewer it may be boring but to me I get so much more out of it because you’re thinking as the pitcher is up there, what kind of pitch is he going to throw, what is the hitter looking for, what defensive position are the infielders and outfielders playing, and most importantly what is the hitter going to do once the pitch is there.

 

The tour guide explained most of the history behind Wrigley field and how much meaning it really had. The players, the events, the people, and also the employees that would make Wrigley run smoothly. My favorite story was hearing how the fences near the bleachers got built because of the fans that would be going on top of them. Once the tour was over, I quickly realized how much I needed to visit other city’s ballparks to get a feel for the city and also for the team. I bought my Chicago Cubs shirt and off we were. Soon after, we took an Uber back to our hotel to check in and took a very long nap to reenergize for the night. We ended up taking an Uber to downtown to check out the Skydeck and what a sight it was. On the way there, I did get a bit of anxiety because of the elevator that started shaking a bit. If you haven’t been to the Skydeck, I would recommend it for the sheer beauty of what it is you’ll see up there. You can end up seeing 4 states (these four states being Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana) on a clear day but since there is something about the night sky that intrigues me, I enjoyed it. There were quite few tourists taking their pictures, and once you step onto the glass you get this thrill because you are 109 floors up and you can feel the whole city in front of you. I took some pictures with my friend Adrian and that first night was capped off by some bar hopping as I just rested there and enjoyed the company of my friend Adrian. The most fun we had at that moment was when we played some pool at this bar called the ‘Game Room’. At that moment, we had some real talk as we started talking about what it is we wanted out of life and what we would hope to get out of it. It was the first time in a long time that I realized that my friend also had this pent-up emotion that he wanted to let out about some issues he had gone through with his previous relationship and I won’t share them out of respect and love to him. All I could do for him was to be a supportive and caring friend. I couldn’t give advice because I myself have not gone through that nor do I wish to ever go through that.

 

As we rode home, I started getting the conversation and the itch to talk to some of these lyft and uber drivers who are probably just regular people like we are. Out of the ones we met on our trip (I’ll sum the majority of them here), I would say the one who I enjoyed talking to the most was this one who was a fan of wrestling and he had told us about some of his experiences as a wrestling fan. I can remember the first question he asked me which period of wrestling was the best and I straight up told him that the 80’s were my favorite period. We started getting into the promos, the matches, the angles, and the general booking of the territory. One thing we noted was that wrestling was seen as special because there were no superheroes or social media to hold some of these guys back from what they could be. Nowadays, it’s a little harder to stay in character and to know how to draw in an audience. Overall, each driver was pretty nice and had a unique background to them from schoolteachers, to retired city managers, students, regular everyday people, and there was even one who just gave us a city tour on how much each neighborhood is different. The next two days were filled with fun and excitement as we ended up splitting up that morning as we visited Millennium Park and split a bit after as we each did our own duties. I went to the zoo to get a fresh take on the wildlife that was near Chicago. I saw an assortment of animals that day from Zebras, Cows, Roosters, Gorillas, Birds, Bears, Rhinos, and other assortments of animals. I even saw a cool trick on some buckets where he started juggling some plungers and afterwards came down. The time at the zoo winded down and I headed over to downtown to catch some dinner with Adrian. We had some deep-dish pizza, which truth be told, was not as good as the one I had in Berkley a few weeks ago. Once we were done, we headed down on the subway to the Chicago White Sox game to catch another baseball game. I enjoyed the game for what it was but when the team is not as good as they were before, the game can be a bit tedious to follow but, in this case, you can find creative ways to engage yourself by talking to others and talking to friends as well. I ended up taking three or four walks around the stadium getting my steps in. I headed towards to the deck to check out the night sky. I ended up taking a picture by there and a Chicago sign to remind me of all the good times that were ahead. The game ended in a 4-3 victory for the rival Detroit Tigers and I continued my streak of ballparks on this trip. The drive home was pretty long and this time I saw how much traffic was really backing up in Chicago and talking to our driver I saw how much the weather there can impact the city they live in. Once we got home, we slept in and had a long day ahead of us the next day. The next day was some of the hottest I had felt in a long time as it was humid and it was muggy. We ended up taking each a solo split once again as I wanted to do my own activities and head to North Avenue Beach and do some sight-seeing on the beach. I rented a bike for 3 hours and just biked as I saw the majority of the beach and afterwards sat down in between to do some reading on a book called Flow which describes those experiences where you essentially focused and are fully immersed in what it is you are doing. The feelings of just being on the beach and having that time to just reflect on what is there in the present are some of the best feelings in the world. That is what I realized as I sat on the grass getting through a good chunk of the book.

 

I headed back and did some more biking around 1PM. We ended making a trek to the famous Pro Wrestling tees store where I ended up buying a Golden Elite shirt (Young Bucks, Kenny Omega, and Kota Ibushi shout out!). From there, we ate (again) and after we saw our first ever Takeover show by WWE NXT. This show was great as it consisted of five matches. Each of the matches from Undisputed Era vs Oney Lorcan and Danny Burch to Shayna Bazler vs Nikki Cross impressed me because the guys and gals all showed something different in the matches. Some were hard hitting and others felt like actual fights where each guy or gal wanted to outdo their competitor. The show itself was fun because I also got to experience getting the Chicago vibe of a wrestling town along the way. Afterwards, I got to check out one last show before I left Chicago as I went to see Bruce Prichard of Something to Wrestle with Fame. The jokes, the laughs, the stories, and the banter between Conrad Thompson and Bruce Prichard is something I get a joy out of personally every week. The show was definitely worth the price as each guy that was present in the show presented something different and unique to the fan that was there. For example, one of the guys that was there, Armando Alejandro Estrada gave a great recount of what it was like to work under the tutelage Once that was finished, I ended up going back home to get a few hours rest before our flight took off. I ended up getting just over three hours of sleep that morning and I got on my flight ready to head back to the bay area. Once I landed I just let everything sink in for a minute before I realized where I had gone and the people I had seen. That night I had a great time seeing some music drum and bass with a friend of mine and we headed home soon after that. The next day I prepared for my trip to San Diego which by and large felt like it went by really quick as me and brother had some bonding time ahead of us and we had driven there this time. The first stop was at an Oakland A’s (Let’s go Oakland) vs. San Diego Padres game which had some drama towards the end as one of my friends kept saying that it is difficult to go 0-5 and one of our hitters, Stephen Piscoitty, ended up hitting a homerun to tie it up in the 9th inning. Then in the 10th inning Jed Lowrie (thanks to an error ended up hitting a 2-run homer. Afterwards, we headed out to our friend’s house to talk some war stories and discuss other things that were going on in our lives currently at that time. I also talked to our friend about his living situation and how different everything was out there in San Diego as opposed to the Bay Area. Here it can be expensive and over there it seemed like everything was a bit cheaper. The next day we went through some interesting areas as we headed over to Camino de la Plaza to see the border from the other side and also saw the Border Field State Park. Before we went there though, we stopped by Sunset Cliffs to see some of the cliffs that I had seen on some videos through Youtube and some of the views were breathtaking. I got a few good pictures which hopefully down the line some of my friends can go and visit for themselves.

 

Walking through that muggy San Diego weather, I can see some of the struggles that the people of my background have gone through. Me and my brother ended up picking up some photos of a little girl. The girl, who we had no idea who she was, was probably someone’s relative and we put the photos up to represent some sort of hope that maybe someone will see them or that it won’t happen to someone else. The border itself by the Border Field State Park also gave me some interesting vibes because we were essentially walking through sand to get to see the other side of the border but once we got there we were told that we were to not get anywhere near the fence. We walked back to our car which seemed longer considering the distance we had traveled. Once we got back to our friend’s house, we had a last pow wow to close out the night where we talked about life, dreams, our times that we have had together, and just everything in between. I had an epiphany that life is meant to be full of memories, laughter, sadness, and great people. That night as we drove back, I stopped by Anza Borrego State Park and saw some stars that were marvelous in my opinion and I just stopped for a few minutes to gaze at everything that was in front of me. That to me was the best way to end my time in San Diego. There were some mannequins that I had seen on some YouTube channels but I did not get a chance to take a look at them. However, after that I said there will always be a next time. I walked away from the vacation reenergized and knowing that I fulfilled my need of getting out there to see what else the world has. I didn’t care if I got lost or if I knew where I was as long as I knew where I was heading to in the long run. To anyone and everyone who reads this, the best gift that life gives us is purpose and to each of us we have our own destiny’s crafted out. Yes, life may not be perfect and that’s okay. In this life, you have to want to get out to see just how wonderful and beautiful the world really is and this is just here domestically. I can’t wait to see what else is out there in the world because I have a little bit of everything right now and I couldn’t ask for anything more. (Author’s note: Here are some pictures representing the trip).

300 Writing Prompts #10: Have you ever taken a huge risk? What was it, and was it worth it?

Posted on by anele25

Risks in my life have never been the way to go and nor have they ever been. I once did take a risk however and in the end it was worth it. I was thinking back to three years ago today and today is the anniversary of my graduation. There were events that led up to that that started with one risk that I felt was worth it at the end. I am pretty open about my past and one of the risks I took was transferring Target stores in 2014. At the beginning of the summer in 2014, I met with a friend of mine asking if I had ever thought of transferring stores. The store was closer to my house and it would save me more gas. I also thought about the long term ramifications as if I had left the store I would be not as sentimental about leaving. For example, if I had stayed my full seven years at the same Target store I would have felt the burden of leaving behind all my friends. I worked that summer with the thought in my head that it was time to transfer. I worked closely with my managers to make sure I had a smooth transition.

 

As the date got closer, I really started doubting the decision because now I would leave everyone behind. The friends that I did make there finally became apparent to me afterward. In retail, you make these acquaintances that you may think are your friends but then after you leave you start to see who your real friends are. I left that old Target store with my head held high but I also started getting emotional towards the end of my first night. I thanked everyone for the time they had spent with me and for their mentorship as well. I walked out knowing that I had made something good there and I started crying like a baby as I walked out. I sat in my car for close to 5 minutes thinking about the memories I had made there. I told myself right then and there that everything had been worth it. The hardships, the fun parts, the struggles, and everything in between. I remember driving to Smoke Eaters that night ready to eat something because I said to myself that would be my small meal that I would eat to celebrate this new phase in my life. No longer would I be commuting and struggling to get to work in San Jose and I would be closer to home. I sat at home and wondered about what the future would bring and thankfully I was off for the next 4 days. I started at my new store that Thursday and I realized right away how different everything was compared to my old Target store.

 

Everybody seemed older and there was a mix of younger as well. I started talking to a few team members and started getting my feet wet little by little. I saw this also as a new opportunity to learn with some new team members. I remember being approached if I ever wanted to enter an executive role as well and then I started seeing how everything was constructed and I realized that it was not worth it. The way that Target works is they like to recruit from within and see team members as being ready for that role as well. An executive is in charge of owning their area and making sure their team leaders have their planners up as well as making sure their aisles are full as well. I quickly learned at my new store that staying organized is one of the bigger problems at retail. You also learn to deal with people whether they are old or young. You see the good, bad, and the ugly. That was something that was worth it because you got to serve a completely new audience and a complete new kind of guest as well. No longer, were they the high strung client from Saratoga but now they were the working middle class from Sunnyvale. I had grown up in Sunnyvale so I knew a little about what the people were like there. As the months went by, I started to realize that my time to enter into the real world was rapidly approaching. I was close to being 27 years old and some of my friends at this age already had pretty stable jobs. I was going back and forth wondering what I was going to do next. I was working at Target one day and they implemented this new strategy where they wanted everything full at certain times of the day. One day, it was my turn and by all means it did not look the best. I got berated by one of our executives and it just so happens that is when I said this place may not be for me anymore. I started thinking what can come along or what can I do to change this new environment of mine. I did my best to keep my head up but everything just kept getting worst whether it was hours or the way we were all being treated. One day, I got a call from one of friends telling me about a position opening at Stanford and if you have read some of my previous posts, I ended up leaving Target soon thereafter.

 

In hindsight, this risk I took because my friend had told me about has led me to today. I would not be the same person I am today because I learned that going into new environments can be intimidating but that is what life if all about. Adapting and overcoming those obstacles and seeing what comes out of it. I can say for how my life is that I am grateful for what has happened because the ultimate lesson I learned from my transfer to another Target store was I learned those that stick by you pull through for you in the end. It doesn’t matter whether things are the best in the world or if they are the worst in the world, they will give the skin off their back in order for you to succeed. I saw the good in what happened and now I can look back and say my risk paid off. Yes, I did miss my co-workers but then I saw they are only that: co-workers. I made the analogy the other day with a good friend of mine “when in war, you only talk about war and then everything just ends”. I made my destiny with those changes and now I am looking forward to whatever life brings next.

Writing Prompts #9: Describe the most beautiful sound you have ever heard

Posted on by anele25

The prompt here got me thinking about what is the most beautiful sound you have ever heard and this one for me is easy as I once ran across a song by Riz Ortolnai when I was younger. The name of the song is called “A Blessed Event”. One thing that stands out for this song is that is so simple and it puts me at ease whenever I hear it. I could be driving, at my job, at the house doing chores, and overall I just enjoy the sounds in the song. I liked the sounds at the beginning as it begins with a horn and a little chelo sound. The sound is beautiful to me because it goes so smoothly without interruption of any other instruments and it just goes along and it makes me happy. It begins with a kind of a “do-do-do” instrument and it keeps going along until it hits this special spot in my heart. I feel as if this song was created with the intention of getting you in a good mood. I could be wrong here but having this beautiful sound full of wonder, awe, and hope is all in this song. I feel like I’m walking through any situation in life and feeling as if I can do it. I remember when I used to live in a condo in San Jose and this song would come on. I didn’t have many friends and this song made me feel this beauty inside. The kind of beauty you or anyone else would never hear again. I get the feeling that Ortolani got the idea to make this song so people can get this big emotion inside of them.  I can come with this song and it feels as if I am working on something greater whether its having a family, accomplishing my goals, or getting fit. It’s funny, because I heard this song when I was younger when I was watching El Chapulin Colorado. If you don’t know who that is he is the Mexican superhero who always comes to the rescue of his people that call for help. Roberto Bolanos really did want to show people his talents by busting out this song at the end of some Chapulin songs. I want this blog also to be aware of some other beautiful sounds I have heard. I sometimes go to the beach and pontificate what is going on in the ocean. There is a mystery that goes beyond the greatest realm of what is there. As I hear the waves, I feel this calmness and this ability to breath in new life inside of me. I can be standing on the edge of a rock or at the side of an ocean and I can just hear myself go with one with the waves. The waves also have these calming effects to them that only certain people would be able to describe.

 

The more I see waves and the more I hear them I just want to live freely within that ocean and wonder what is there. It feels as if the Earth is moving at a slow pace and you can just hear everything slow down for a quick second. One of the best times I have ever had in life was when I was younger and we took a late night trip to the beach and the waves were coming slowly that day. This was at a beach in Sinaloa and the waves were coming in rather slowly that night. I was out with my Aunt and her husband and we just went down to the sand. I walked by the waves several times and as they came in I realized the breath of fresh air was coming in to somehow suspend my belief that this was life. The waves kept coming and I could think about how nice and peaceful that was at that moment. I kept walking until my aunt and her husband stopped for a few minutes and just marveled at several things around them. I could tell that they too also enjoyed the waves that night. There is also nothing better than the ocean waves because of how fast they can change once you get inside for a quick dip. I know that once you get inside the water there is a different feeling as well because they can come on top of you in an instant and it doesn’t feel as fast as it used to. The one last thing I enjoy about the ocean waves is that water in general is a very soothing thing to have around you. One last memory I can remember about the waves and how comforting of a sound they are is when I was at a beach in Monterrey and I was standing on some rocks. The water was coming close to the rocks and I could feel that my body was somehow scared to go inside the water. I was standing against the rocks and once you get passed the water hitting you close it doesn’t get all that scary. I went down and I sat against some rocks and I could feel the water coming towards me as if I were one with the ocean at that very moment. There is no better feeling to be amongst something other than the water that comes towards somebody. The sounds that it makes, the whoosh that it makes as it gets closer, and ultimately the overall good feeling it gives. I hope one day many more people can come to appreciate the ocean waves and the sounds that they make for all of us. They say that beauty comes in many forms and this sound of ocean waves gives me comfort, satisfaction, and a great deal of hope. I know as I grow older I can give others the same feeling by integrating my life with there’s and telling them a little more about the ocean waves.

Writing prompts #8: Write about one of your most embarrassing moments:

Posted on by anele25

On my 29 years on this earth, I can’t think of many things which stand out more than embarrassing moments. I can say that I have had a few embarrassing moments throughout my life. For example, when I think of this I can harken back to when I had a little accident in elementary school. There is another incident which I will point out in the 2nd half of this blog but this one I wanted to share first. It was Mrs. Sunderland’s 1st grade class and I clearly remember this moment. It was just like any other day where we gathered around and we were hearing our lessons on reading and writing. I then all of a sudden to go to the bathroom. As a little kid, the feeling of embarrassment was new to me and I felt almost a scared feeling because I don’t think up that point I had ever asked to go to the bathroom during a lesson. I got up during the lesson and before I had known it I had literally crapped my pants. They took me to the nurse’s offices and I couldn’t control my diarrhea that day. I remember sitting in the bathroom in the nurse’s office and feeling ashamed. I didn’t know whether my classmates would think any differently of me. One of my friends who I still talk to this day remembers the incident and always eggs me about it. In a way, I felt the incident was good for me because getting embarrassed is a part of a life where you can laugh a little at yourself. Looking back, I was a kid and I didn’t know what that feeling was like yet and I felt as if the world was judging me. They were judging me because I was not accustomed to these feelings of shame and I did not know that idea of fear inside of me. I sat there for a few minutes until my uncle’s wife came and had to tend to me until I could gather my thoughts inside. I also had some toilet paper that was hanging from my side as I once again could not believe that this had happened to me. I was wondering at that time about what were my classmates up to and little did I know they were doing something much different than I would have imagined. I had imagined they were inside of the classroom learning some math or what have you.

 

Anyway, I sat there for a few more minutes until I could walk away for a little. I walked out and saw my uncle’s wife wearing her purple McDonald’s shirt and I just thought what just happened. I was sitting inside the classroom and all of a sudden I could not control what was inside of me. I walked outside and there were my classmates playing recess and I was sitting there wondering there what was happening. Thus ended one of my most embarrassing moments of my childhood. I want to touch upon one of my 2nd most embarrassing moments which was when I fell during a dance with my mom almost 15 years ago. I was not the most experienced of dancers and I remember dancing and almost falling which has to rank amongst one of my most embarrassing moments. Embarrassment isn’t always bad because it allows you to grow and see what else is ahead in life. I leave everyone with this, don’t be embarrassed that these moments be happy because you were able to grow and learn from these experiences. Till next time everyone.

300 Writing prompts Number 7: What is one of your greatest blessings?

Posted on by anele25

7 prompts into the 300 writing prompts and this one popped up for me and I would say that the greatest blessing is having family in your life. It’s funny you’re born, your parents have this thing called a child and they somehow have to dress it up. My family has been there for me to give me many things and you just wonder if sometimes it is luck of the draw. I know of friends and family where they struggled early on to gain any sort of familial support in their journey. I can say in my recent years that my family has supported with my decisions. The two things that I wanted to accomplish in the last ten years was to buy a car and finish school. I ended up accomplishing both in the last year and I could have done both without their support. I also recently noticed that no matter things may get or if you end up upset at each other at the end of the day, they will be there for you to welcome you with open arms. One example I can think of where they were there for me was when I had been going through my transition of going from community college to upper division at San Jose State.

 

I mentioned this earlier but I think what happened along the way was that they gave me the motivation to be better than I was. I needed the extra push from my family to do well because I saw them struggle when I was younger. I saw sometimes how my mom would come home sometimes at 6 at night from work taking the bus or my dad who would come sometimes at midnight from work. I would see the little sacrifices made here and there so we can enjoy a better life one day. Every year we would save up and go to Mexico to enjoy the family we had over there. This is before everyone had kids and had obligations and before the world started moving so fast. I felt that back then that my parents wanted to give their own blessings a little taste of who and what their families were like. I can remember every summer we would spend at Grandma’s and everyone was just free and on their own.

 

To me, this was a blessing behind a blessing because every summer we would see the same cousins and people we knew. I could see that my family wanted us to bond with our family so they can see that expanded family was also a part of us as well. My fondest memory of us all being together was back in 2004 as our time was winding down and me and my cousins were bonding over random conversations. You can see from the beginning that our family wanted nothing but the best for us. I’m grateful for these memories and many others. The human body is susceptible to certain illnesses and one that comes to mind was when my dad was going through a skin disorder and I had to take him and back and forth to appointments. The hardest part was knowing that this person was in your life and now you had to care for them. I bonded with my dad at that point because this was the period in his life when he was still going through his restaurant job as well. We would stay up and watch wrestling together on Mondays and now in some ways that was being taken away from me. He would ask me how and why these wrestlers were fighting and I would need to explain it to him. I was so happy about this whenever we would get the chance to do this but like I said now it was being taken away from me. The moments when I would see him struggle reminded me of the times when I would see him come home late after work and he would still be there to go along with his kids and enjoy their time together. Recently, I also remember my dad would say that he had nowhere as time has gone on, my mom has also started to show some signs of slowing down and this is the impending kidney dialysis that she has with her. I can see her struggling little more now and as time goes on I want to learn as much as possible within the next few years. My brother has given me one of his best blessings which his ability to guide me about various topics. I can remember growing up and the one line that always sticks with me is when I had gotten upset because I was unable to pass my DMV test and he gave me encouragement that day to continue forward. I’m sometimes grateful for him becoming my friend because I learned about how to talk and speak up to people.

 

Before, I was shy and didn’t know how to take things with people. I often credit my brother for helloing me finish my schooling as well because he didn’t finish school and often we look to our brothers for advice as well. As I go through my older years, I eventually want to be that blessing to my sons as well because the greatest gift you can give to a child is a life full of adventure, warmth, love and understanding of living. Blessings give us the ability to see that life works in a funny way. You’re stuck with your family and you learn to function with them every day. I can see as I get older that I am going to stare at whoever, somebody that I have next to me and see my own family growing right before my very eyes. These are the reasons I think we have blessings: To be able to show us that life can be a fun and exciting time as we grow and learn from each other. I also think the experiences we can provide each other as time goes on to talk about and laugh at these times are the wonderful times we can have. Till next time everyone.