Tag: Observation

• Not Typical, But It Works

  Dec 28

  I was asked recently about my experience writing a book. It was one of those casual questions that slowly opens a door you didn’t expect. As the conversation unfolded, it… more ›

• Shelved Dreams

  Dec 19

  Writing a book was a long-held dream of mine—one I carried quietly for years. Not the kind of dream I announced out loud or chased with urgency, but one that… more ›

• Experimental Build: Human Edition

  Dec 15

  A self-reflective observation made under the supervision of that Guy in the Mirror. There are days when the world goes sideways—days when it feels like the gods themselves are pacing… more ›

• On Being a Writer (Ay, Sí… Mira Qué Chingón)

  Nov 27

  As a writer—ay, sí, mira qué chingón—I’ve discovered something both humbling and infuriating: I find myself completely at a loss for words far more often than I care to admit.… more ›

• Where Baseball Loved Us Back: Memories Filtered Through a Child’s Eyes

  Nov 16

  There’s a certain magic to baseball that no other sport has ever quite managed to touch. Football thunders, basketball dazzles, soccer never stops moving—but baseball? Baseball breathes. It invites you… more ›

• The Hierarchy of Everyday Life (According to an Overcaffeinated Educator)

  Nov 13

  Or: A Day in the Life of Someone Who Wakes Up Already Tired Let’s be honest: adulthood is basically a group project where nobody knows what’s going on, and the… more ›

• Epic Quests Require Fries: A Charro’s Story

  Nov 9

  After our performance at the closing of the Cattle Call Rodeo in Brawley, I rolled up to In-N-Out thinking I’d grab a quick bite. The place looked packed to the… more ›

• I Think My Fence Has a Drinking Problem

  Nov 7

  I was outside grilling, enjoying a cold one, just watching the smoke drift up and pretending I knew exactly what I was doing. I take a sip, and out of… more ›

• An Invitation Home: Remembering, Celebrating, and Holding On

  Oct 31

  I’ve known about Día de los Muertos for as long as I can remember. Growing up, it was always there—on the calendar, in the stores, in movies and at school—a… more ›

• Cooking: the world’s most delicious dehydration project

  Oct 20

  Did y’all know that cooking is basically just strategically drying your food to a preferred edible status? That’s it. That’s the whole operation. We’ve spent centuries building cuisines, writing cookbooks,… more ›

• Under the Friday Night Lights

  Oct 12

  There’s something almost magical about a fall night at Calexico High, warm and humid, with a light drizzle turning Belcher Field into a glistening diamond under the Friday night lights.… more ›

• The Curiosity of Curiosity

  Sep 29

  Curiosity is one of the first languages children learn. Long before they master full sentences, they’re pointing, tugging, and asking questions in a hundred different ways—“What’s that?” “Why?” “How come?”… more ›

• A Writer’s Manifesto

  Sep 23

  (Or Am I Just Rambling?) I remember, when I was still a teacher, how I answered the question: What makes a good writer? I always said, “Just write every day.… more ›

• Rain, Memories, and Mischief

  Sep 22

  Not too long ago, I wrote about memories and how they have a way of popping up when you least expect them. Maybe it’s because I’m — how shall we… more ›

• The Thing About Palm Trees

  Sep 21

  Palm trees grow in warm places all over the world, but somehow they got branded as California’s signature accessory — like aviator sunglasses for the landscape. They aren’t even native… more ›