Title: Sunshine

Gender: Male

Location: Detroit, MI

If you really knew me, you would know that…
 
I am Mexican-American. I am bi-racial: my father is Mexican and my mother American. I am an imigrant because I was born and raised in Mexico City and then my family moved here when I was 11.

My father is an artist and my mother was a translator so art and language run through my veins. My mom is now in seminary studying to be a minister.
 
I was extroverted as a child but after moving here and finding myself completely out of my element I crawled into my head and hid from my body and my emotions.
 
My mother was a born-again Christian and I was raised and fully embraced fundamentalism. When I attended Berkeley I realized that my Christianity was not an absolute truth but a belief structure and that I could step out of it and take a look at it. I currently believe that all of the wisdom traditions of the world have something to teach us, and that I am on my life long journey of being and learning.
 
When I was at UC Berkeley, I dated a woman five years older than me who had two awesome beautiful kids, Aaron and Jerushah. Life is messy and we got pregnant. I dropped out to support my new family. I know I did the right thing even though it was difficult to leave the focused world of learning – I love it so much. I continue to study and read and learn every single day.
 
The best day of my life was the day my daughter was born. It is THE miracle of miracles. I was overjoyed to welcome my dear Anna to this world. I am proud of having been a good father to three wonderful children.
 
I worked hard in the computer industry through all of the 90's, from customer service to software engineering. I love the creative process whether it is in English or in Java (the computer language).
 
One day a manager of mine at the business software company I worked for stopped a meeting, looked out the window at the bay, and said “You know what? In five years, none of this is going to matter.” I realized that I wanted to do work that would make a true impact in this world, that would matter in five years.
 
In 2001 I went through the deepest darkest period of my life, loosing my marriage, my job, my career, my future, a good friend, and everything I owned. It was the year of 9/11. So I went to Mexico City to bottom out, and to rediscover my roots and myself.

Through that dificult experience I learned to be in my body, to feel my feelings, and that I am perfect exactly the way I am, because I am the universe and nature unfolding and we are all in that way Divine. “Todo esta bien.” Everything is perfect.
 
I came back to the Bay Area because I could not be far away from Anna, who is now 19. I found a yellow house in the Oakland Fruitvale district. Anna lived with me for a year and is now living on her own. She also, now works with me at Challenge Day! WOO HOO!!! 
 
When I returned, I started working as a school secretary for Manzanita, a small cooperative charter middle school in Richmond. I learned that I loved serving a beautiful community of young people, parents, and teachers.
 
The math teacher at Manzanita, Gary, brought Challenge Day to our school. It was during that Challenge Day that I realized that the school had been the light at the end of my dark period and that I now stood in my bright tomorrow.

I now have the pleasure and honor and fun to work with Challenge Day (http://www.challengeday.org/) in helping in whatever way I can to transform the world one day at a time.
 
My dream is to live on the beach, because the ocean calls to me with all of the power of a limitless horizon and all the quiet insistence of the lapping waves. My dream is to be a sculptor at this beach house because I revel in touch and creation and the beauty of all forms and the journey in which they take my hands and thoughts. My dream is to there create a safe and loving space for people to heal, because it is my gift.
 
I challenge myself every day to be present, to learn, to love, to live. I choose every day to get busy living or get busy dying.

Member Since: Thursday, March 16 2006

Last Visit: 689 days ago.

Profile Viewed: 1727 times (last viewed less than a minute ago)