Antonio Anaya:
CLASS OF 1997
Lakewood High SchoolClass of 1997
Lakewood, CA
Antonio's Story
Antonio is from Long Beach, California. He is married with Magali Anaya. His schools include Lakewood High School. He works(ed) at Self employed, Eddy's Artistic.
Antonio's interests include Writing Poetry, Singing, Taking pictures, futbol las aguilas del america, football (RAIDERS and USC) basketball (LAKERS), SELECCION MEXICANA DE FUTBOL, Selección Nacional de México, Real Laker Fans, Muhammad Ali. Music he likes includes ILoveKLOVE, K-LOVE Radio, KOST 103.5. Books he likes include World Went Crazy, I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, Bridge to Terabithia (novel). Movies he likes include Sleepless in Seattle, Oz The Great and Powerful, Shrek. TV shows he likes include NFL on Fox, El Gordo y La Flaca, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
One of Antonio's favorite quotes is:"When I was little every time I used to go to the store on Broadway in between Maine and Daisy (owned by Henry who later got killed by an ass-hole during an attempted robbery) with my dad we used to race down the alley. I felt I was faster than the other kids at school but I was never able to beat my dad. He would sometimes pretend to be losing only to come back and beat me easily. I used to get frustrated by that. I was so competitive that even loses to my dad that weren't suppose to mean much left me begging for one more race. I wanted to win so bad.
For some reason we stopped racing for a while. Our trips to the store had become less frequent. I guess since I was always out of the house playing I was never there when my dad went to the store. I was 12 years old and was growing my wings now so I was out of the house and getting to know what was the world around us.
On this occasion I happened to be there at home and my dad asked if I wanted to go to the store. I stood up knowing that I was going to have my chance at glory. We talked as usual and when we got to the alley my dad asked if I wanted to race already knowing my response. He asked if I needed a head start and I said "No, I've got faster you know." I can't remember who gave the count down but before you know it we were running down the alley at a full sprint. We were side by side going faster with every stride we took. I pulled ahead and I kept on pushing myself to go as fast as I could knowing that at any time my dad was going to turn on his afterburners. I saw our usual finish line get closer and closer and couldn't help myself and looked to the side to see if my dad was coming. I didn't see him but could hear his breath right behind me. I gave it the last I had to finish the race not noticing that I had crossed the finish line first. I was gasping for air when my dad said. "There, you finally beat me!"
What I thought was going to be my moment of joy had turned sour sweet. I had beaten my dad! My dad who was Super Man to me. The person who at times had carried me over his shoulders so I wouldn't have to walk, and I'm not talking about a couple of steps, I'm talking about a couple of miles. My dad who was able to carry my 3 sisters 2 brothers and I all at once. My dad who had given us swimming lessons and taught us to ride a bike. For a moment I asked myself what I had done. I wasn't suppose to win. Not now. I was too young. I didn't feel I deserved to be on my dads level.
I guess my dad noticed my face cause he said "What, you can't believe you beat me?" I just shook my head. He smiled and explained to me that everything in life has a cycle and I was about to reach a point in my life where what ever I set my eyes on doing I would accomplish. That that victory was only the beginning. He told me about the decisions in his life and the effects it had, in a positive way as well as a negative way.
My dad always had a way of making me understand things. Still does. He is still the first one I talk to when I have a problem and the person whose advise is always the best to follow cause his answers come from the heart. I guess that's the best way to go. By following the heart and knowing that you only live once and what you choose to do has to be what makes you happy in the long run. After all...Life is one long race!
MY greatest lesson came as a young boy. My dad was drunk half the time and I'm not ashamed to say it. If anything I say it proudly. I was envied by friends who's dads were always sober but never had time to play with them or just let them know that they loved them. I constantly heard "I love you" from my dad. We lived on 3RD and Golden from 1984 to 1989. That's right by the 710 freeway which is now Cesar Chavez Park. Sometimes we would just take walks by the LA river and stopped to have father and son talks, but not just any father and son talks, he would pour his heart out to me. He was brought up without a mom and the most loving person in his life was his grandma but even she died too soon. I was always reminded by him that the things we love most in life cannot be bought and that sometimes when we lose them we lose them for ever. Our talks always concluded by him telling me that no amount in the world would bring back his mom or his grandma. When I was little I thought it was just crazy talk due to him being drunk. Later on I realized it was more than that.
Ever since I can remember my brother Arturo,...Expand for more
AKA Raider, was with me. As little boys we used to play marbles (by the way he used to crack mine in half with one hit when he wanted to which to me is incredible, I never cracked a single one), basketball (I was "MAGIC" johnson and he was Kareem, he loved the sky hook), wrestle ( He was the Ultimate Warrior and I was Hulk Hogan) AND did all the other stuff kids do. On this occasion my brother brought his friends over to the park. They had something I had never seen befor. They asked if I was going to play too and he said "yeah". I was like "So what are we gonna play?" They said "football". I asked how you played it so they gave me a quick review and we started playing. By the end of the game I had found my new love.
It seemed we couldn't play it enough. For a while we played in our friends yard on 3RD and Maine every afternoon. We played tackle even if my brother which was 2 years older than me used to run right over us and scored at will. He would set scoring records on us cause we couldn't stop him. Then one day when I was 13 I got right in front of him and maybe he didn't want to hurt me but I stopped him. That was the first time any of us did it without it being less than a group of 3. That changed everything. That was the momment that made people pick us on different teams during friendly games. Nobody used a first pick on anybody but him with me being the first pick by the other team. One of the few times we were on the same team a girl told the guy picking, " Are you serious, you let Arturo and Pepe be on the same team? This game is over, you guys wont beat them when they're on the same team!" The person taken in my place by the other team laughed and said "I'm as good or better than they are" as he gave a confident laugh. 15 minutes into the game the other team didn't want to get back on the field, disgusted by a 12 touchdowns to 1 butt kicking they were getting.
That was my life with my brother. Maybe alone I was good, but with him I was great. He made everything better. He made friends easily and I wont even mention girls. I always got "Your brother has the looks but you have the charm." I would laugh and tell them that I couldn't be mad or jealous, that was my brother. I was glad that to top him off he had a voice that would make girls panties fall right off.
The relationship between us was one of a kind. I loved and respected my brother. I didn't tell him that. Not until he was in the hospital dying. I always thought he already knew just like I knew he loved me.
My brother died December 22, 2004. I was at work when they gave me the news. I already knew it was going to happen and didn't want to be there when it happened so I hid behind work so I wouldn't be there. The pain that I felt has been the greatest I have felt in my life. I was mad at God, I figured I was a good guy asking for something that was well in Gods reach and I had been denied. And to top it off I had asked that if necesary for him to take my own life in his place and felt that even God thought my life wasn't even worth taking over his. Do you know what it feels like to feel that you are insignificant even in the eyes of God. I do. I still dont understand it. Why did God take him. I can still see my mom crying for him after his death and I had to make myself strong for her. I still dont know how I did it cause I felt like dying myself. Not only did I lose my brother but my best friend as well. I
had a dream where he showed up and told me to go and hug my mom cause she was very lonely. It's strange how dreams work. he would ask me to do that when ever my mom was feeling down and with the love I held for him I obeyed.
I am one of the few people in my family that can express his emotions. I have to thank my dad for that. All those talks we had gave me a good heart. Most important or all I understand where he was coming from now. I would give anything to have my brother back. I do realize it is imposible until I die. I realized a couple weeks ago that with the life style I was living I was trying to speed up that process without wanting to or at least without realizing that I did.
I have since made my peace with God. I did have to move away from Long Beach to heal the pain. Every part of it was a memory so it was the best thing to do.
I find that showing your feelings can be a curse. There are people that will take advantage of you when they know you have a good heart. That's not stopping me though, as long as I can love and have breath in my lungs to say "I Love You" I will. Raider left without hearing me say it to him as many times as I wish I would have said it to him. I dont take people for granted..I can't! People cant be replaced, sometimes when they go away they go away for ever!".
More about Antonio:""I'M NOT BITTER ANYMORE CAUSE I KNOW THAT WHAT WE HAD WAS REAL, AND IF IN SOME DISTANT PLACE IN OUR FUTURE WE SEE EACH OTHER IN OUR NEW LIVES I WILL SMILE AND REMEMBER HOW WE SPENT THE SUMMER UNDER THE TREE LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND FALLING IN LOVE." "In life, i regret the things I didn't do far more than any misstep I could of had" David Stanley".
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