8.11.16 - Hugo's joys

"Local activists throw a Trump Cinco de Mayo piñata party/poetry night - I am one of the spoken word poets invited - I read my poem - one of the guests friends me - we start talking - I am now working the job of my dreams after nearly 5 years of trying to break into the PR/Marketing field"

"Music drives me: 2a. My Spotify playlists (pic attached) 2b. Belting out MercyMe's 'I Can Only Imagine' the same way most people will belt out Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody 2c. My two favorite stations are sports and new country 2d) I love the sound the fiddle makes in country songs and the accordion in tejano/norteña songs"

"I LOVE shopping malls. They're like a playground for my senses."

"I geek out over in-depth stories."

"Late-night conversations, or really, just the art of conversation in general."

"Playing soccer is one of the few things that stills the storm inside my head"

"I wanna call out my friend Lupe Mendez as part of this joy inventory. He has been a mentor, a friend, a supporter, and a cheerleader for my art since we met in 2012. He's the one that made me believe I could write poetry and brought me into the social activism scene in this city. Him, you know how people use the phrase 'well, he's a tireless such and such'? Lupe is a tireless a lot of things. He is an intensely devoted husband, teacher, social activist, poet, friend. His "summer vacation" this past month included going to the prestigious https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macondo_Writers_Workshop. Like, his form of relaxing was going to an intense writer's workshop. So yeah, I take joy I have him as a mentor. Also his poem 'I teach' is amazing and I think youshould check it out."

"Joy in darkness. I think, in all honesty that as beat down as I can get by life sometimes, I know that I have surrounded myself by people who in many different ways give me the will to keep fighting."