Public Ponder

New Year Mantras: Faith, Water and Neighbors

To wrap up the year on a very bright note, I went hiking with my sisters Rosanna and Sandra today. As usual, we talked about everything, including the future, which today meant 2024, the New Year. At ...Read More →

Why I Resigned from My Special Education Teacher Job

Here's my life-changing decision of 2023: I resigned from my job as a special education teacher in November. I was a teacher for 17+ years. It wasn't ideal that I left midyear, but when you know, you know,...Read More →

Menopause: What’s the Big Deal?

It’s official. After counting the months between periods for well over two years, I can confidently announce that I hit menopause. I can give away my remaining tampons and pads and stop using birth...Read More →

Gratitude List: Why I’m Grateful to Be a U.S. Citizen

Disclaimer: It will never feel right to type “I’m an American” -even though I sometimes say it. Fact: I’ve always been an American, only from South America (Venezuela specifically), just like any U.S....Read More →

Why Do I Have a Problem With Mental Disorder Labels When They Bring So Many Benefits?

When my son Diego was little, his autism label memorably got us a disability pass at Disney World with magical line-skipping powers. Currently, labels give him access to Department of Developmental...Read More →

Embarrassing but True: I Want to Be an Influencer

Here's something I've decided to be forward about: I aim to be the most prominent influencer I can possibly be. I know it sounds arrogant and silly. I’m no celebrity or fashionista, nor do I have...Read More →

What Do Teachers Really Do in Summer?

There's a widely held belief that the greatest perk of being a teacher is the long summer vacation. I'm a teacher and I agree. By perk, I mean tangible, measurable compensation: pay, health insurance,...Read More →

Death Awareness and Living a Better Life

I was at a party sitting across from my sister Sandra talking about this and that when she suddenly asked me to “Swallow.” From her expression, I knew she’d turned from sister to Dr. Mini. “You have a...Read More →

The Very Best In Me: I Am Patient and Likable, Thanks To My Special Son

It’s no secret that parenting is damn hard. It brings out the worst in you and unearths some of the best a person can give. This piece is about the latter. The Patience of a Saint “Dani has the patience...Read More →

Beliefs of Youth: How Much Do They Change?

“On the whole, our indiscriminate enjoyment of being right is matched by an almost equally indiscriminate feeling that we are right.” Kathryn Schulz, in Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error ...Read More →