Top 5 Memorable Events that I've been to

#5 Sam's Birthday Party (1988) 

My older brother 14 was babysitting for a woman out in Middletown, CT. My older brother would watch the woman’s son for about maybe 6-8 hours while the woman would be at work. My brother told our mom this funny story about how the woman he babysat for son Sam acted up really bad one time (Sam used really bad curse words and tried to fight my older brother) that my older brother picked Sam up and hung him on the coat rack in the living room till Sam’s mom got home (funny, lol). Anyway, Sam's mom had planned a big birthday party for Sam because he was turning 6. Sam's mom had invited my brother & me to Sam's birthday party in Middletown. Sam's mom picked us up from Hartford and she drove us to the party. Sam’s mom had a really cool popular game hit the pinata that was a lot of fun. Sam’s friends and family were at the party. When me & Sam met, one of Sam’s friends thought that Sam and I were brothers because we got a long and I was 10 only 4 years older than Sam. I will never forget the fun we all had that day (I still remember how we were all grabbing the candy from when Sam whupped the pinata)!

#4 My older brother's Appreciation (1990) 

My older brother turned 16 and my mom threw an appreciation party for my older brother on his birthday. My mom had my brother's big surprise birthday party at then Valley's Steak house (now The Chowder Pot) in Hartford. So many people came out to my brother's appreciation; among them were Ms. Bloom our 2nd grade teacher & Sam (the boy my brother babysat in Middletown) and his mom. There were some people who couldn't make it to my brother's appreciation in Hartford who lived far, out of state but they sent money. You want to talk about something that was really well-organized & really good it felt like being at the Grammy Awards the way they were saying so much good things about my older brother (I remember that was the very first time I tried the Non-Alcoholic Shirley Temple drinks & absolutely loved it). My brother's appreciation was a lot of fun!

#3 My older brother's High School Graduation (1992)

My older brother at 18 graduated from Weaver High School in Hartford. My brother graduated from high school with high honors (I do believe he graduated with a 3.8 GPA). My older brother is considered the "miracle baby" because of what he went through when he was born. The doctors didn't think he would live or even walk but my older brother not only beat all odds but my older brother always got good grades in school. My older brother had people of all ages who looked up to him (younger and older as well as the same age) when my older brother graduated from high school, my older brother inspired me to work really hard in school like my older brother did so when it was my time to graduate, a lot of family & friends will be at my graduation like they were at my older brother's graduation. My brother's graduation was great!

#2 My High School Graduation (1997)

I was perhaps discouraged in every possible way a person could discourage anyone in school from elementary school, private school, and high school. I had problems with a few teachers that discouraged me and I was even recommended by a teacher to be put in 2nd grade special education when my mom took me out of 1st grade from a teacher who took it upon herself to discipline me. My special ed teacher held me back in 2nd grade and was very discouraging to me and from there I was taken out of special ed and put in Ms. Bloom's 2nd grade class at the age of 8. I was the type of person who channeled a lot of negative things that people said to me. I didn't always get the best of grades in school but with that being said, I could always get the score or grade I needed to when I was in danger of failing a class (do my best under pressure when I'm at my worst do my absolute best). Anyway, my family being at my high school graduation was priceless because it showed that hard work really does pay off. I even had my fellow classmates & their family and friends rooting for me when I was graduating with my classmates from Bloomfield High School in Bloomfield (Graduated and proved the naysayers wrong). Yes I did it!

#1 Marissa's College Graduation Miss. Mercedes daughter (1997)

One of the things that inspire you when you graduate high school is going to college and graduating from there too. Marissa (who has been in California ever since) & her older brother by about 10-11 months Chris (who graduated college in 1998 in Philly now married for the past 7 years and resides in Middletown, CT with his wife) were like family to me. Marissa 21 going on 22 graduated from UCONN up in Storrs. What made going to Marissa's college graduation priceless was that it was the same year I graduated from high school (double fun). I remember Miss Mercedes had a cookout for her daughter Marissa at Ms. Mercedes house in Windsor. There were all kinds of food that was there especially Spanish food too. I grew up eating some of Miss Mercedes Spanish food that she used to always cook (no matter how much Miss Mercedes son Chris used to try to tease his mom about her cooking). Marissa graduating from college inspired me to go to college because I would eventually walk across that stage and get my college degree like Marissa walked across that stage and got her Bachelor's Degree at UCONN. Guess what, after 15 years of not quitting despite the routes I took, I graduated from Capital Community College (CCC) and received my Associate's Degree in General Studies. Till this day I use any negative talk that people say about me to motivate me!