People talk about improving a community like it’s one thing. Like if you explain it enough, people will understand. But I don’t think it works like that. People don’t change as a group. They change one by one. You can’t force someone to see themselves differently. You can only offer them the option. We’re not… Continue reading

There was one strange positive during COVID. The freeways were empty. I do deliveries all over Los Angeles— the 110, the 405, the 10. Usually, they’re so packed… if you breathe, you’ll smell somebody else’s breath. That’s how bad it gets. But during that time? It was smooth. You could go from point A to… Continue reading

The first hour of my day feels like a rocket rumbling under the covers… about to take off. Destination unknown. Then— beep, beep, beep. My iPhone alarm goes off at 6 a.m. It’s still dark outside. Darker than usual since they pushed the clock forward. I open the curtain. My cat Simba is there. We… Continue reading

I think what makes a person unique is the ability to look somebody in the eye and hear them speak to you in whatever tone they choose, while recognizing that their tone may be rooted in a past we do not see. But if that person becomes conscious of it and is able to explain… Continue reading

A lot of people name their kids after themselves. You become a junior. I’ve always hated that. I don’t know why—it just feels… heavy. Like you’re passing something down that someone didn’t ask for. So when I think about something being named after me… I don’t think about a kid. I think about a movie.… Continue reading

Sometimes what makes me laugh isn’t the joke itself. It’s what it reminds me of. I remember a scene from Meet Joe Black where Joe asks Anthony Hopkins’ character what he misses about his wife. And instead of saying something deep, he says something simple. He talks about how one time she farted in her sleep and… Continue reading

When I used to work for Don Orlando, he made his own chorizo—Salvadorian style. One day he told me something I didn’t believe. He said, “You can do anything you want.” I looked at him like he was crazy. He just sat there in his lawn chair, sipping his coffee like it was obvious. “You… Continue reading

For a long time, I always said yes. Mostly to family — my father, my sister, my mother. And a lot of the time, that yes interfered with my own goals. I wanted to please people. I wanted to be helpful. I wanted to avoid conflict. But recently, I’ve been learning to say no. Not… Continue reading

Sometimes I feel like my secret ability is tunnel vision. Not the peaceful kind. The kind where the vehicle is running fast, the road is tight, there’s smoke in the air, and I’m thinking about the next move while dodging obstacles. That’s how my brain works. Once I lock onto something, I go. I’ve always… Continue reading

Some people like bright sunny days. Me? I like when it’s about to rain. The sky turns gray — not just one gray, but different gradients of it moving slowly across the clouds. The air gets heavy. Quiet. You can hear the first distant rumble of thunder somewhere far away. Some people say that kind… Continue reading