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Date of Birth
I was born in Melrose Park, Illinois -
My Cousin was born
My family is very close to each other and we see each other a lot so I was always with my cousin Jonathan growing up. I didn't realize it until not that long ago, but he is the closest person I have to a brother. There may be times where I don't show or express how I feel about him but deep down I love him and I want to make sure he succeed in life. -
Parents separated
I was around 4 at the time so I was still very young when It happened and I don't remember all the details. I have a patchy memory when it comes to my childhood but there are some memories that I have with both of my parents and then there are memories that I only have with one parent. I ended up living with my mom and my sister and I noticed that after this happened I began to be more independent from my mother. -
My first gaming system
I was 5 years old when my family decided to throw me and my cousin a combined birthday party. It was princess and transformers themed. What made this day so memorable was the fact that for a present I got, PlayStation 2 silver edition as my first gaming system. -
losing my great-grandparents
Since I was still a small boy when my great grandparents passed away I don't have many memories of them. I remember that my great grandfather Jose Ruiz, passed away a few years before my great grandmother Teresa Calderon. When she passed I remember that we were at my grandmothers house and everyone was crying. I was a small boy but I still understood what was going on, I wasn't able to cry for my great grandparents but I was able to comfort my grandma when she needed someone for her. -
First memory of My Uncle Tony
When I was about 7 and it was July 3rd we were at my grandmas house when random people I didn't know pulled into her driveway and all got out of a car. Then entered the house and said hello to everyone as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time, I just decided to go along with it. I later learned that those people were the family of my grandfathers long lost son, my uncle Tony. After this visit our families began taking turns to see who would visit the other family for the 4th of July. -
Death of My great grandmother
I was always closer to my mom's side of the family because my dad's family lives in Mexico, I was particularly close with my great grandmother. she was the one that always checked in on me or to ask if I had eaten properly throughout the day. When I learned of her passing it had already been years since I last saw her and I didn't have a phone yet so I was able to communicate with my family in Mexico. I realized after that all I had to do was ask my mom for a phone and I could have talked to her -
My first F
I was in 5th grade and we were taking a test in my math class. At this point in my life I knew I was a smart kid and had barely ever gotten a bad grade on test. So I trusted my own intelligence and I decided not to study for the test. After receiving my first I was disappointed in myself because I had received and F and I knew less than I thought I did. This showed me that no matter how much I thought I knew that I should always prepare for a test by studying and not "winging it". -
Got my first xbox
This was a special occasion on which I could see my dad. I was at his house for my birthday that year and he wanted to get me a special gift. He took me to the store to buy an Xbox 360 and a bike for my birthday. -
Made my schools basketball team
I was in 5th grade when I decided to try out for my school's basketball team, all my friends were trying out and they convinced me to do it as well. We might not have been the best team but my friends and I did our best and still manged to have a fun season. -
Made my mother cry
I asked my mom for a birthday party this year and because I had done well in school that year she was happy to go along with it. I hadn't yet realized how money worked in the world and thought they still grew off of trees. I was opening my presents and was surprised when I didn't get the Xbox that I asked for and confronted my mom about it. It wasn't until my sister pointed it out but in that moment I was being a rude and unappreciative son. She threw me a party and here I was complaining. -
The day my dad was deported
One day my mom and aunt Gabby pulled me into a room to talk to me. Its a conversation that I will never forgot having. They told me that a while ago my father was involved in a hit and run so he had to get a new car(I remember when he got this car). But the police still managed to track him and he was arrested and deported. My parents separation made me independent at a young age and his deportation made me relive those feeling and made it extremely difficult to see my dad. -
Meet Elijah
The first day of 7th grade year I was late to school, by the time me and my cousin walked in everyone was else was already seated. As I scanned the room there were 3 faces I didn't recognize. I later knew them as Elijah, Daniel, and Melissa. I didn't talk to Elijah at first because he had a bad reputation, he made a girl cry and he hit someone over the head with his soup container, both were on accident. But my cousin convinced me to talk to him and 4 years later we are still best friends. -
Going back to Mexico
The last time I went to Mexico before this trip was 8 years prior. I was 5 years old the last time I was there and I went back when I was 13. When I went back I had found that not much had changed, I still recognized my family, but I found 4 cousins that I didn't know about. I only remembered 1 baby from the last time i was there so it threw me off a bit. But after getting to know them that summer I was happy that I had gotten the chance to go back and see my family. -
Started taking Algebra
I received a letter from my school weeks before school started again saying that due to my recent math grade I was eligible to be taught algebra in school. At first I didn't think I was ready to take it but thanks to help from my family, friends, and teachers I was able to pass the class. -
My Grandma went to the hospital
I think it may have been low blood pressure, I didn't know what it was when they told me, all that concerned me was the fact that she was in the hospital and I was ready to go see her to make sure she was OK. I thought about this after but I thought about how old my grandmother is and how much of a significant role she has played, and it made me appreciate her more because I know she won't always be around. -
started working
I came back from Mexico City when my mom told me to ask my uncle about a job. I knew where he worked, at the buyers flea market and I knew it was only for a couple of hours on the weekend. I figured it would be a piece of cake. What I realized after it that work is time consuming and it requires a lot of heavy lifting. Which is why every time I got paid I would always enjoy my money because I worked so hard for it and it helped me to understand why my mother was always tired from work. -
Meet Declan
I was playing basketball with my friends in Taft's gym when 5 people I didn't know walked in. We played basketball ball as if we all knew each other but we didn't and it was a fun day. 2 weeks later I went to get food with Elijah and some new friends that I meet through basketball. I didn't know Declan personally when we went to get food but after that he grew to become one of my close friends. -
Got my driving permit
This was the day that I received my drivers permit. It may not be a actual licence but it still allows me to drive which in my book is considered a big milestone -
Cumming Falls State Park
On our way to visit my uncle Tony in Alabama this year we took a detour and stopped in Cummings falls state park. There was a hiking trail that lead to a waterfall that I will always have a vivid picture of.
