LEGION:

This story is about a man who had his feelings bottled up for way too long. He was not able to tell his family why he did the things he did and was not able to recoup the lost years away from the people he loved. In the Mexican-American community, you never show your sadness, your pain, or your weakness. As an act of pride, you always keep all your emotions to yourself, as if nothing is wrong. Showing everyone that you’re not suffering and everything is fine is strength.

I couldn’t do that anymore; it was tearing me up from within. By writing my story, I was finally explaining and apologizing to my family at the same time for leaving so long ago and why I tend to stick to myself in the present. Writing my story has been a form of therapy for me, a way to release all those negative feelings that have been inside my head for some time now.

It feels like coming out of the water and taking a big gulp of air after being under for so long, and I can breathe again now. My life has been harder than most but easier than a lot of people. I thank God for guiding me and protecting me through my journey. But I still wouldn’t change any part of what happened back then because it wouldn’t have brought me here. I have no regrets.

Excerpts:

1. I remember running out the back door of the old ranch house, yelling to my mother, “I’m going down to the river I’ll be back later!”

2. One last chance to say goodbye, one last chance to say I love you to my family, not knowing if I was going to be dead or alive in the coming weeks.

3. In the legion, it’s not out of the ordinary to have a few beers for breakfast especially out in the field.

This story is about a man who had his feelings bottled up for way too long. He was not able to tell his family why he did the things he did and was not able to recoup the lost years away from the people he loved. In the Mexican-American community, you never show your sadness, your pain, or your weakness. As an act of pride, you always keep all your emotions to yourself, as if nothing is wrong. Showing everyone that you’re not suffering and everything is fine is strength.

I couldn’t do that anymore; it was tearing me up from within. By writing my story, I was finally explaining and apologizing to my family at the same time for leaving so long ago and why I tend to stick to myself in the present. Writing my story has been a form of therapy for me, a way to release all those negative feelings that have been inside my head for some time now.

It feels like coming out of the water and taking a big gulp of air after being under for so long, and I can breathe again now. My life has been harder than most but easier than a lot of people. I thank God for guiding me and protecting me through my journey. But I still wouldn’t change any part of what happened back then because it wouldn’t have brought me here. I have no regrets.

Excerpts:

1. I remember running out the back door of the old ranch house, yelling to my mother, “I’m going down to the river I’ll be back later!”

2. One last chance to say goodbye, one last chance to say I love you to my family, not knowing if I was going to be dead or alive in the coming weeks.

3. In the legion, it’s not out of the ordinary to have a few beers for breakfast especially out in the field.