Human interest

I was raised in the Puerto Rican/Boricua culture for the most part.  I grew up in New York City and my parents’ home was like U.S. culture did not exist. That included the food (rice & beans, platanos, etc), music (boleros, salsa, meringue), and superstitions (el cuco — the boogey man).  But th…

Just announcing that two of my works of art “Beauty Never Dies” and “Guimazoa,” were accepted for publication in the fall edition of the journal Calyx. “Beauty Never Dies” (20-by-30 inches, acrylic on canvas) depicts the same woman at ages 18 and 65 in her native environment. A commissioned piece, t…

I met him right after breaking up with someone.  We didn’t have much in common, but we kept each other company for awhile.  He fed me when I had no money. He even made the meals!  His go-to meal was white rice, steak and tomatoes. We stopped seeing each other during a blizzard when after an argument…

When you begin a relationship, you are usually looking your best—trying to impress, get the other person to like you back, in general putting your best foot forward.  When you live with someone, real life sometimes gets in the way.  There can be issues to be dealt with.  Bodies can change as a resul…

This lesson came from a friend who had an “interesting” time with a high-powered government appointee.  She found his “little black book” where he rated all the women he had relations with.  He was into some kinky stuff. I had met him as well and was so glad that my name never appeared in that book!…

  From Papo—who totally broke my heart and dreams. I didn’t know that he would be one of the hostile ones.  Believe them when they tell you a truth.

This was a realization that I should have seen coming from the first day I met him. He was an inspiration but at the same time “out there” mentally.  It took me awhile to get over that one!

We didn’t have much money or time together.  He went on to study psychology and made a career for himself.  I hope that he found much happiness.  The strawberries he gave me were the best present because they came from his heart.  The image was created using AI from Shutterstock.

I’ve been thinking about my culture and what makes it unique. My family didn’t celebrate the holidays like the dominant culture in the United States, but they didn’t celebrate it like they did in Boriquen (Puerto Rico) either.  My parents grew up celebrating Noche Buena (Christmas Eve) like Thanksgi…

Home is a funny word.  It conjures up different things for different people.  A high rise in the middle of a busy city might be the best home for some. While a secluded off grid tiny home might work for others.  I like my house and have slowly been working to turn it into a space I feel comfortable…