Recently I finished my watercolor project called Aerial Encounters and finally published the first volume a day ago; just in case you missed it. Today I brought 3 new passengers with exciting and unique stories. I’m really not just looking for reactions, but also connections that the audience may experience while reading my perspective with each story.

Does the project is going to keep growing? Of course, let’s see how well it takes its course. My main goal is to have diversity as well as explore different themes and methods, I’m not fond of staying in just one place.  Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy your stay here and learn new things. So, let’s begin:

The Secured Blanket

In a busy shift in the evening, people were buying last-minute stuff before boarding to New York. People kept coming in and out of the store non-stop. My last customer was paying for a small grape juice when he heard someone behind him: “Daddy…I’m cold”. He turned around and grabbed his baby girl before leaving.” Trying to buy some juice before the lift-off” – he chuckled. I smiled back and replied that I do the same, but with water. I try as much as possible to be completely full of water, since eating lunch 2 hours after initiating the shifts was ridiculous nonsense. Somehow, our conversation started with diets and exercises to the story of his past as a kid and his breakthrough as a grown-up father. 

At the age of 8, he lost both brothers each year. The first one got killed in an ambush by drug dealers and the other in a car accident, both were underage. Consequently, his mother became overly protective of him while his father’s absences shined since the beginning. Eventually, he stumbled upon negative people who would misguide him, drugs and even robbery were part of his life.

“Everything was happening so fast, my energy was draining and I kept asking myself if this is the life that what I really wanted”.

Things changed for him when his daughter was born. “She taught me so much in such little time. I love her and wouldn’t let anything happen to her.” Ever since she came into his life, his father appeared and asked him if he could be part of his granddaughter’s life. He and his daughter were on vacation on P.R. and went to visit some families, that’s where she met her grandfather. With such a request, he told his father that there was one condition in order to be able to see his granddaughter, to remain as a family and take care of each other.

Viva La Diva

Sun was rising, I’m still sleepy yet annoyed about being relocated to another far-away store. It’s like how we say it here, “…por la puñeta”. I’m trying to fight off my sleepiness while customers come in. People are sitting nearby since the departure is within 2 hours. The next person in the lane was this lady with a cocky red smile, vibrant attitude, groomed with a unique scent, and fashionable clothing. Very pretty indeed. ” I’m gonna pay it with my husband’s credit card…”

“You know darling when men are truly in love with their woman, they give their everything, even their money. At the end of the day that is my husband’s job”

I frowned subtly, I didn’t like what she said and had a bad impression of her. I believe she was buying a pink scarf (I guess for another collection in the wardrobe), but it wasn’t scanning right. So I told her to give me a minute to resolve the issue, I took another scarf and went back to my counter. She was observing every move, even my resting-bitch-face. “You know, you seem to be a very firm, strict woman…” she said randomly. I stopped and looked at her, silently. I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, was it a compliment?

She continued, “I love it every time I see women like you, it gives me pride”. “Well, I don’t know what you saw in me but…”, I started to tell her my story. Not much was said, but she told me she was a businesswoman who tends to travel to countries, she has worked since 15 and her decision to not have kids is still on the contract. I fell in love with a man and that’s about it. She had to leave earlier since more customers were multiplying in the store. My perception of her changed a bit, but what makes these stories authentic?

The Unforgettable Educator

There are moments in our life where opportunities are most of the time spontaneous, and one must not hesitate on taking the step. Unfortunately for me, it became a shooting star. Same old routine, people in the terminal, some come and others go and then this gentleman appeared. He was looking for an outlet to charge his phone. His destination was back home, in New York. I gave him a few directions on the hidden outlets, and later on, he was looking at my cables and headphone section. “This was quite a long journey. I came from Saint Thomas, my home, to visit the family, and now I’m going back to my other home.”

He asked how I was dealing after the chaotic phenomenon of Maria, and how incredible and disgraceful was the management of the government with the whole situation. His homeland was facing the same fate, but worse. “Kids these days don’t know what they want. They are so submerged with the technology that they seem to be fading from reality”.

“They will go to my classroom all excited screaming what are they going to learn today, and let me tell you something, I educate them so they can educate their parents. It all begins in the nuclear family.”

His words reminded me so much of Yazan Hiyazi, one of the last and best professors I had for Sustainable Innovation. I was so intrigued by listening to this man and suddenly BAM! People started to storm my shop, eventually making the guy scram away. It was so unfortunate, I bet he had great tales to tell…