Navy veteran reflects on Vietnam War service
“I graduated high school the night of the 28th of May. The night of the 29th, I was sleeping in my barracks. “A friend of mine was in the Navy, and I had always wanted to...
She’s suffered her share of tragic losses
“One of my duties at work was to create ID badges for all the employees. They had to be renewed on everyone’s birthday. When Juan came to see me, I made his ID and we flirted...
Implant ‘a miracle’ for music lover
“My hearing loss was a gradual thing. Then two years ago, I lost it completely in my left ear. “With about 70% hearing loss in my other ear, I really started to feel isolated. I wouldn’t...
Music collecting a lifelong passion
“My wife, Raquel, says that I’m a hoarder. I tell her there’s a fine line, but I haven’t crossed it yet. “I got into record collecting seriously about 20 years ago. I was at a retail...
Young couple tackle new business
Jamari: “We didn’t experience the 2020 that most everyone else did. It was a very exciting year for us. COVID was going strong, but that didn’t stop us from getting married and opening up this business....
Chronic health struggles can’t stop her
“In 2009, I was raising my kids. I was doing weddings. I was teaching group fitness. I was doing all this stuff, then my voice kept going out. “I was a fitness instructor for 17 years....
Food ministry ‘delivering hope’
“I made a mistake. I used the wrong address for a food fair location. I caught it, but I knew some of the flyers had already gone out. “I was worried that some people might go...
Cousin’s suicide changed filmmaker’s life
“Through my films, I’d like to support non-profit organizations and bring attention to certain causes. Because I lost someone to suicide, mental health and suicide prevention are really important to me. “Mario Arturo Valverde was my...
Movie lover inspired to make his own films
“I’ve always loved movies. Growing up, I had very emotional reactions to them. Sometimes I would break down in the theater because of the way a movie ended. “Wonderful films like ‘Interstellar,’ ‘The Shape of Water’...
He was prepared to take a bullet for woman
“I consider myself a ‘protect.’ It means that I’m someone who’s willing to protect other people. In a bad situation, if I have to, I’ll step in and take physical injuries or whatever to protect another...
