Salvadore (Sal) Hernandez:  

It's been awhile and a lot has happened since I last updated my "Story", so here it goes... How time flies... I guess you could say that I've lived a decent life thus far...less than what I dreamed of...but more than what I probably deserve. I'm in good health and living a happy life. My two daughters remain the loves of my life, although they call me "Dad" more often now than they call me "Daddy". This year I lost my hero... my Dad passed away on Feb. 26th. I was priviledged to give his eulogy to an overflowing room filled with his family and friends. I came to realize just how much he meant to so many others. He was buried at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery with full military honors. I'm lucky to still have my Mom and she seems to be doing well. I'm still trying to come to terms with him not being here anymore. But, that's not really true; because he's still here in the eyes of my girls. I realize that I'm not the only one who has ever lost a parent, it just feels that way. I learned a long time ago to cherish every day you're given on this earth, and this whole experience has just reinforced what I already knew. Life's not the breath you take...the breathing in and out, that gets you through the day, ain't what it's all about. You just might miss the point; if you don't slow down the pace... Life's not the breaths you take, but the moments that take your breath away. Just like it took my breath when my girls were born; just like it took my breath away when Dad took his last that day. I had a decent childhood, although none of us had a whole lot, we had a great time anyway. I grew up in a neighborhood filled with kids and alot of them were my age. Guys like David Dominguez, Ray Morales, Pierre Gutierrez, Gilbert Casanova, Robert Wayne Arias, Ralph Aleman and Gino Campos. But, it was a fight at a summer recreation center that made me my longest lasting friendship. Abdon Macias and I got into a fight. I don't even remember what it was about. His brother, Frank, who was a counselor made us put on boxing gloves. Needless to say, he bloodied my nose and really gave me what-for. Frank told us "to shake and make friends" and we've been buddies ever since. I found out later on in life that he was ambidextrous, so that "beating" is a little easier to take. Ha!! He's a very good and generous man. I've learned alot from him and I hope he's learned a little from me. What I remember most from that time was the simple pleasures that life brought us...like chasing fireflies, catching horned-toads and lizards, playing hide-n-seek in the "Monte" until 10 p.m. at night, sharing a raspa or getting a drink from the "mangera"/water hose, going over to any of my friends homes and taking a seat for dinner (uninvited), sling-shots, spinning tops/"trompos", BB guns, club houses made from scrape wood, "La Tiendita"/mobile vendor, endless games of "Tag", baseball, football and basketball, "raiding" neighbors' trees for Chinese plums, pears, figs, etc., bicycle and foot races, "canicas"/marbles, flying kites and just the innocence of youth. Thank God there weren't any computers then, we would have lost out on so much. I had several teachers from the EISD who had a very positive affect on my life. My 1st grade teacher at Stafford Elementary, Mrs. Ruby Ann Hernandez kept in touch with me until I was 22 yrs. old. She taught us with patience and grace and instilled in all of us a sense that we were all special. She was in the audience the night that I crossed the stage at the Municipal Auditorium as an honor student and even came up and talked to all of us--who were little boys and girls just twelve years earlier. She always told us all that we would go to college and that we were "the Best". I'll always remember her as a lovely and caring woman. My 6th grade teacher, Mrs. Peggy C. Kneisel was a real spit-fire of a woman. Years later when I was in college, I went back to see her at Stafford and there stood this diminutive but strong German woman, although, I'll always remember her as being 10-feet tall and bulletproof. She taught me to be assertive and to stand up for what I thought was right. She loved her class and never let anyone push any of us around. Her English lessons are still valued and remembered to this day. I can still remember participating in the Edgewood Walkout of May 16, 1968. My sister Chelo told me that she was going to "walkout" of class that morning and it was all the buzz around the District, even in Ms. Villarreal's classroom at Stafford. She told us that she understood why the students were upset and "wouldn't stop us if we wanted to walkout too." Wow, can you imagine what would have happened if some parent got wind of that today. They would have terminated Ms. Villarreal and we would have gotten into so much trouble. Some of my other friends with older brothers and sisters at Edgewood also walked out with me that day. We took the sidewalk to Edgewood and we could see a whole bunch of people standing outside. There weren't only students, but also parents. I remember one lady was so upset, she said, "They think that since we speak Spanish and are Mexicans that we'll accept any trash they give us!" I bet that Superintendent Bennie Steinhauser was shaking in his boots when he saw that crowd coming towards the Central Office building. I was afraid when one of the District administrators told the police officers who were there "managing the crowd" to arrest us. When the police officer said that we had every right to demonstrate and that he wouldn't be arresting anyone unless it got out of hand. Everyone started cheering and hollering. People came up and started shaking the officer's hand. For those of us who grew up during that time and went through that experience will also remember the lack of supplies,obsolete equipment, and no toilet paper in the restrooms. During the winter we had to wear our coats in the classroom and on real cold days you could see the vapors from your breath when you blew out. The spring and early fall days in San Antonio were equally bad because it was so hot and uncomfortable in the classrooms that you couldn't even concentrate on what you were suppose to be learning. And, you all remember getting to class all soaked and wet when it rained because there was poor draining and no sidewalks so you had to wade through the water just to get to school. I recently looked through our yearbook and saw a picture with the "Edgewood River" flowing past in front of the school. I thought every school in S.A. was like ours until I went to a UIL contest in Kirby...I was shocked...the cla...Expand for more