Top Moments of the Decade

10. Coming out to my mom: By the time I came out to her, I was comfortable with my sexuality. It was more about her disowning me or something like that. After I told her, she said, “Que nuevas. Do you want to go shopping with me?”

9. Graduating from college: I worked hard to overcome the massive failure that I was in high school. I wanted to make my parents proud by graduating with honors. I don’t think my parents care about that but I’m glad I was able to do it anyways.

8. Teaching: Initially this was the worse time of my life, EVER. I really, really liked my second semester. In a strange way (but not in a creepy way), it made me want children even more.

7. Losing 100lbs: I know I gained it all back and MORE. This happened, however, in conjunction with my “break-up” with pervert and my first full semester in college. I was really motivated to become a better person. I’m still working on being less of a douche and less neurotic.

6. Working in the car battery factory: Yes, I only worked there for one day. Yes, I’ve milked this day for thousands of scholarship dollars. It was still important. I didn’t realize how important this day was at the time (I’m not that introspective). However, when I was sitting in class and would think of the acid slowly eating away at my skin (this never happened by the way), I knew I could not quit college.

5. Moving to California: I always wanted to move somewhere, anywhere really, after high school. Largely because my dad was tired of having me around doing nothing, he asked my sister to take me with her to California. My first stay was a short one but it made me realize that my next visit to Laredo would not be a permanent one.

4. Getting my passport application rejected: You know the story. It still hurts and will hurt more when I have money to go on vacations but have to settle for Reno, Nevada.

3. Meeting “La Vaca”: Because of my parents (cough cough) tenuous status in the U.S., I felt that I could not apply for financial aid. Without it, I simply could not go to college. “La Vaca” helped me through the whole process of applying in spite of my parents Mexicanness. He will never know how much he’s helped me (even though tiene manchitas).

2. Getting accepted into a PhD program: It’s a really long process that I feel incapable of finishing (and I’ve thought many times about dropping out). Whether I finish or not, this decision will shape the rest of my life.

1. “Breaking-Up” with pervert: I use to follow/admire (?) him during high school and shortly after. Many other things prevented me from going straight to college, but he’s the main reason why I didn’t. I was too captivated by his crazy ways. (At least he helped me accept my sexuality.)

--Luis A.