Sunday, July 31, 2011

Flowers

For lack of imagination, I find myself constantly thinking of things.
Like anyone else, questions of life, the past, present, and future
come up. What the day, week or month will bring. Sometimes even trying
to figure out everyday things, like how to pull out a wedgy in public
without it being noticable.

But I also find myself thinking of undocumented theory. Analyzing
situations, events and issues in the movement, our life styles and
what any of that means. Everything from mixed status relationships to
working dynamics with people I could give two shits about. It's all
stuff that is always bouncing around in ma' head.

But once in a while, I stop to smell the roses. I admire the everyday
asthetics and ignore everything else going on, even if it's just for a
minute. I do this on bike and train rides a lot. To ignore the worlds
suffering for a brief moment. To ignore my own suffrage as well. But
even then, when my thoughs turn to happyness, reality sinks in again.
Time to deal with the world again.

~ con safos ~

Monday, July 25, 2011

¿ How would your life be different if you had papers ?

That's a loaded question that floats around, like a bee flying from
one flower to the next. I was asked that again today in a friendly
interview and I had to think about the answer this time around. It's
such a rhetorically, fluid question that it has no answer. Much like
the ocean water that turns into a gas, forms clouds, travels across
the world, falls down as snow, melts into a river stream, is consumed
by a bear, is released as urine on a tree and evaporates once again,
it's constantly changing.

My answer this time around was that I would be the complete opposite
of who I am. In my life, lack of access to resources, opportunities
and quality guided my life style. Over the years, not being able to
drive and get a licence turned from not being able to do it, to not
wanting to drive because I want to reduce pollution in the enviroment
& ride my bike not because I have to, but because I chose to.

It's safe to say that I wouldn't be the same person I am today if my
legal status wasn't an issue. I would have graduated from high school,
found myself a steady 9-5 job to sustain me, have a girlfriend and go
on about my life like that. Rinse, lather and repeat. Buying and
amassing useless andsuperfiloud material possesions that would never
make me content.

But that wasn't the hand I was dealt. My life up to this point and
everything that has lead up to it cannot be changed for better or
worse. What happened, happened and it lead to me being who I am.
There's always questions of if's and buts, but I don't think that way
anymore. I use to think what it would be like to have mutan powers
like the x-men, but that reality is more tangible than the one I'm
currently living. Papers or no papers.

~ con safos ~

Friday, July 22, 2011

A Social Justice Birthday

Today I am 27 years old. I could careless about my age, but I am
enjoying getting older. Seeing more white hairs in my locks, body
parts making all sorts of noises willingly/unwillingly and just
enjoying life for whatit is. It's not about the destination, but the
journey getting there that matters to me. That's why I've never made
it a point to celebrate it.

Part of that stems from my childhoodor lack there of, and because I
just don't like to. It makes me feel uncomfertable. That's why I don't
tell anyone or remind them, it's just another Tuesday to me. So today
insteadof getting drunk or going out, I protested.

In the morning I marched and played the drums with janitors taking
part in an action in downtown LA. It was an old fashion march to make
their presance known in their current campaign. It was pretty hetic
and well attended. Then I headed off to pickett a business in west LA
that is robbbing workers of wages & a few other labor law practices.

At the end of the day, I was too tired to do anythingbut shower and
lie down. All in all it was a good day. I also forgot to mention that
I saw Captin America at a midnight showing, so I was running of 5 hrs
of sleep. Totally worth it. Here's to another year around the sun, as
I'm one year closer to death. Happy deth day to me.

~ con safos ~

Monday, July 18, 2011

Antithesis

My being is one built on going against everything. I'm my life, trying
to fit in at every turn, I reached the point of finally being
confident in myself and doing what I want regardless of anyone or
anything. I've also realized that my life is built on being the
antithesis of my father. The man who gave me life, who has caused
grief & countless strife. I live to do everything he never had the
chance to do himself.

A lot of my friends grew up without dads and it's common sentiment,
spoken/unspoken that those of us with dads should be appreciative of
that. But the questions turns into a choice between two lesser evils,
growing up fatherless or having an abusive one in your life?

At the end of the day, I don't blame my father for his faults, but
more on his actions and choices as an Individual. My mother deserves
better than him, yet she's been with him all this time and raised a
family. Something I can never understand. She's put up with more than
I care to count.

Yet, my father is a productof the lack of choices he himself had as an
abused child, little to no formal education and making a living by the
sweat of his brow. That's all he knows and it's gotten him this far,
but it's not much. That's why I became his opposite, consciously or
subconsciously.

My loves, passions, ways of interacting with the world, the way I
think and even dance are to protest his. I've even had friends tell me
that I don't look like I belong withmy family, that's how much I stick
out from them. But unlike my father, I have had the freedom to make
the choices he was never even presented with.

I am what he could have been if life didn't say other wise. The hate I
feel toward him will never be gone, but as I get older it does dwindle
down. After all, how can one be mad at their parents for giving them
life and bringing them into this world ? Well .... Who said I wanted
to be alive in the first place ?

~ con safos ~

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Driving While Random

This is one of many post thatwas coming, me finally learning how to
drive at 26 yrs old. It's funny to find myself doing every day things
like flying and driving in my 20's rather than my teens, which is when
most folks do these things. But nothing motivates one to do something
they put off for years like necessity. Cause I have to drive for a
job, lame but it needs to be done. Also, I told myself I would drive
by the endof the year, so boo yaa

As for the experience itself ? Well I wasn't scared or too nervous
about it. I'm comfertable in cars and always payed attention to
drivers when in the front seat, but doing is different that seeing. It
took me a bit to get use to it, feeling out the gas and brakes so as
to not make sudden stops and starts. I had to be on my toes for
everything around me, using the mirrows, except the rear view mirrow.

I drove around a parking lot going in turns and I loved it. This ...
sense of "hey look at me !! I'm a motorist !!" reminds me of the
Simpsons ep. when Mr. Burns had to learn to drive after Homer punched
him out. I didn't hurt anyone though or hit anything. Yay !!!

I did drive on the streets for a while until it got too crazy and I
was like, "umm let's switch now." It had the help of an amazing person
the whole time and they were very mindful of not freaking me out with
"stop" or "turn here" yells. Even though I scarred her a few times.

Hell at one point, sublime came on the radio and as I was singing
along, the sun setting ahead of us, nothing existed for those moments.
Just us in the car singing and taking in the moment. I still need tons
of practice until I'm ready to go on the streets let alone the freeway.

If it's one thing about the movement, we all share and transfer skills
with each other. Whether it's writing a paper, finding scholarships of
learning to drive, we all look out for each other like that because we
have our own ways of doing things. We know what's going through our
minds and the fear that comes with new experiences. Plus we make it
fun along the way too

~ con safos ~

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Moments of Briefness

Today I felt physically I'll by all the negativity that I both harbor
and bring into my life. I felt like complete doo doo and the only
thing that took my mind and body away from that was work. Doing work,
immersing 1's self in the task at hand always seems to be the best way
out of these moments. That's probably why I had a moment of dejavu.

Yet, today of all days in which it was business as usual, i stopped to
smell the roses. This consisted of Going to work and organize, get
outta work and go to a protest/rally in solidarity/supporting homeless
folks fighting gentrification in downtown LA. Everything was right as
rain until the arrest came.

Once the action escilated to that level, I saw a sister who I consider
my other self, do what she does best, do work. Having been around
actions like this, she kept her cool and did what needed to be done.
She acted as a buffer between police and activist and made sure
everyone was safe.

In watching ther ake care of things from atop a fire hydrant, I
stopped for a second to breath and laugh at the irony of life. I laugh
because as undoc individuals, we do soo much more than outsiders can
or choose to see. So much so that we forget ourselves we're undoc in
the heat of the moment. Even when surrounded by 5 police officers, she
never backed down, had her say and continued on.

We both chuckled later on because we both know things would be
different if the cops knew about our lack of legal status. To know
that their power is being challenged by those who are beyond the
perpetuated stereo types of undoc folks. And in that lies the joke.
Ha, ha, ha, ha

~ con safos ~

Tuesday, July 05, 2011

Dreamers-a-Drift



I've been meaning to post up their videos and talk about Dreamers-a-Drift, but you know ... I forget to do it when I get in front of the computer because I'm too busy checking fb. Anyway, check out their latest video, which is one their best one yet. With each and every new video they bring out, their skills keep improving and growing. I have the pleasure of knowing all the folks behind the project and can vouch for them super down to earth and great people to have around anytime.

Their unique style, visuals and blending of words, music and video really make them stand out not just within the dream movement, but as artist in their own right. They have quite a few videos on their site, all of which relate to the dream act and past events that have taken place. Check it out when you have some time to kill, you won't be disappointed. And be sure to keep up with them on the fb and twitter, cause you can never be too over connected with anyone in this day an age.

Sunday, July 03, 2011

A Good Day

I went on a hike and took a dip in a waterfall. Last time I did
something like that was in Mexico at my great grandmas ranch.
Afterward I had a cemita for brunch. I caught up on emails. I saw a
play at Griffith park while catching up with a confidant. We ate tacos/
quesadillas made by hand. Today was a good day.

~ con safos ~