Stories of Lotería

Back in 2000 I started recording family ghost stories as told to me by my Mom, my Grandma, and letters from my Aunt Socorro. Around that time I was taking an English course on memoirs and for an assignment I presented those family ghost stories as if they were being told to me and my other cousins by our Uncle George. Why did I choose my Uncle George as the storyteller? Because I (and my cousins who were present) share a vivid memory of one night we were all at his house, in my cousin Lorrie's room, waiting for him to tell us a ghost story. I can't remember what his story was about (something about an old outhouse) but the anticipation and excitement are what fuels this memory. That and the 10 feet leap into Uncle George's lap that cousin Desiree took when Ruben pounded on the window from the backyard! Here is the introduction to that memoir assignment, exactly as I wrote it, almost exactly as I remember it.  The girls piled themselves onto the cushy queen-sized bed, wrap...

Angel Baby A Special Report on Good Boys Gone Bad. Benicio was a good boy. By all rational accounts, he was known to display behavior modeling respect, obedience, and all around good-natured-ness. Born on a warm morning in June of 2011, he found his birth and the bright new world around him to be rather agreeable. Benicio's parents, a loving and nurturing couple who enforced peace and harmony in the home (it should be noted) often found him entertaining himself with toys and books. Not likely to throw unnecessary tantrums, he comfortably drifted from boisterous family gatherings to quiet alone time without much fuss. He knew without a doubt that Mami and Papi would be ready at any moment to adore his evolving charm or comfort his sorrows. Even at his most rambunctious moments, he remained sweet and, well, irresistible. It is not an exaggeration to point out that those closest to Benicio believed they had been truly blessed with an angel. The change didn't occur overnigh...

This is what writing at 11:39pm looks like.