Have you reached your Potential?

Here is chapter 11 on my personal history. It has been a while since I completed chapter 10, so if you want to check previous chapters, click here  After I completed the fifth grade, on summer time, I went with mom to the Military Hospital, and it looks like she got something serious... for the first weeks she was every day getting treatment, she never told me what she got, and every session was about one and a half hour, so she also arranged for me to have an appointment with the dentist, and I believe I had a lot of cavities because I got the doctor working on my mouth for several weeks... I never got engaged with kids my age, but I always was able to talk with the adults, and being every day at that hospital area it was a great opportunity for me to talk with the doctor and nurses... after few days, I started helping the doctor putting the instrumental on the sterilizer, cleaning the floor and I also helped preparing the folder for the next appointments to the nurse... I loved to b

This was a very difficult time for me. I started my fifth grade at Fundación Mier y Pesado, a Catholic School, that you needed to have high recommendations or contacts to be there... well, my mom, always fought at schools for us, and there was never a closed door for her. She was so persistent... some times I question myself why am I so stubborn... so obstinate... from both sides... mom and dad. Well, the fact is that my first day at school was awesome... I discover they had a chorus, and I always wanted to sing... and better than that... the teacher asked if some one played any instrument will be immediately accepted on chorus... and I had My beloved guitar! Also they had FREE breakfast for all the kids, Band, Sports... a whole new world was opening in front of me, so when I got back home I explained my mom about the guitar, chorus and everything, and she supported me and encouraged me so strong that I felt confident to participate. Next day I was at the bus stop with my guitar... and

What happened between fourth and fifth grade impacted my life… there are some memories… My first job My father bought a shoe box with all the stuff required to have shiny shoes at home, so I asked why he did that, so he explained me that if we pay, we needed to expend 2 pesos on each pair, but with the supplies he bought the cost will be minimum, so it could be a great saving… when he mentioned the amount some one paid, I ask myself, why not to use the box… to get some money… and that’s exactly what I did. To have an idea of how much a peso worth, the exchange rate was 8.25 pesos per dollar, so a peso was about 12 cents. I took the box to the street and started offering the service for 1.50 pesos… to get customers faster than regular shoe cleaners… on my first day I made more than 20 pesos, because my satisfied customers paid me 1.50 plus a tip… on some pairs I earned more than 2 pesos. I was happy, so I went to the store, I bought one Red Mundet soda ( 45 cents) and animal cookies (5

While I was at home, I was peaceful, quiet, obedient; a perfect angel. But as soon as I walked out home, I turned in to a menace, that caused my mom to have to visit the school more than often, and by the middle of my 4th grade I got expelled from school again. My mother found another school for me, and I was able to finish the 4th grade on that school. One of my mother’s friends recommended her to search professional help, so my mother consulted the priest at our church, and he recommended a religious school, so she applied for a scholarship for me and she got it, because I had a great academic score. The fights at home, were increased and even when my mother hided my behavior to dad, he always found, something, and that increased the fights and the hitting. I was always sad and afraid to be hit so, when dad came to the house I always used a book on my back under my pants to soften the impact and… It worked (Except when he hit me on the upper back). The discussions were always about m

I don’t really remember much about my first year at elementary shool. Besides I was always distracted looking around. While my schoolmates were trying to learn the basics of the alphabet I was fluent in reading and I was doing my first writings… So I was the worst nightmare a teacher can have. By the end of my first year, I got expelled for misconduct, so my mother took me to another school. She explained my situation, and after some evaluation with two teachers, I stepped directly into the 3rd grade. That year, the school did a musical play, I loved the rehearsals and performing in a big auditorium. I remember that as a great year at school. My conduct was always problematic, and my name was well known in school. I was a fast learner and I had the capability to understand what the teacher explained at once, so I got plenty of time to think of other things. At home, things where rough because my father was having financial difficulties and my mother started getting sick from low blood

I was four years old when my dad taught me to read. By that time, my older brother Pepe, was acquiring a weekly publication to build an illustrated encyclopedia. I remember the cover, it had an astronaut, and atom and it was colorful and attractive to read it. Since I learned to read, I started reading… the Encyclopedia. May be others kids were reading tales, but my first readings were about an incredible world. By some reason, the definition of the Atom, was really interesting to me, “Atom: The smallest particle of matter that cannot be divided. Consists of a Nucleus with protons and neutrons, surrounded by electrons”… then I liked to repeat that out loud. You can imagine the surprise of the adults when they listened to me… after that, my dad was so proud of me, that when some one came to the house, he called me… “Don Arturo, please explain the Atom”, so I explained and then I was going back to my readings or my wall observations. Those were my main activities. I loved to read anythin

Sol and Antonio moved from Cozumel to Mexico City. With no place to live, neither resources to buy anything, he found refuge at his mother’s house. With and expectant mother and his child Pepe, he decided to get a car and start his own business as a cab owner/driver. At this point of his life, everything he was dreamed about was just vanished, and he needed to support his new family and over all, he was back to his mother’s house, to live with her and his young brother, and as a side effect of the Diabetes his temper was getting worst every day. He bought a car and got the license, permits and plate to offer his taxi cab services. He got the plate 5345 that will remain with him for several years. Few months later, on May 12, 1958 Sol gave birth to the first De la Mora-Carrasco, at the Central Military Hospital in Mexico City and they named Alicia Maria Antonieta. Alicia. By December on that year Sol was pregnant again and the family grew with Patricia on August 12, 1959 on the same Ho

Sol and Antonio meet in Acapulco… few days later Antonio was asking my grandpa Eduardo permission to married Sol and to take her to Cozumel, where he was based. More than a permission it was just an advise, because he had to go back immediately to his duties. My grandparents give him a blessing, they married and that was the start of a whole new adventure in their lives. Cozumel Island, it was a primitive tropical paradise, with a rich ecosystem and it was a tactical base, not a touristy destination. The mosquitoes where big, my dad told me that even with leather boots, mosquitoes where able to bite his heel and ankle. Big bugs where all over the place. My dad, Antonio shared with me a story about their first months in Cozumel Island. He started to make home improvements on the house he got at the Island, so he asked some natives to cut some trees to get wood for the construction, and they suggested not to do it, because it was full moon… He was upset and asked some soldiers under his

I know just a little about my grand grand parents, but I have the names and a picture. Lucecita García Luna and Blas Carrasco, they had 19 kids… It's obvious there no was TV on that time. One of their sons, Eduardo Carrasco García Luna, married María Contreras Nuñez, who was daughter of Vicentita Nuñez and Teodoro Contreras. They had five kids: Natalia, Eduardo, Alicia Solveigh, Manuel and Lolita. My Grandpa Eduardo used to work for the city of Tlalnepantla and he was recognized because his honest service. He was also a talented self taught musician, he played piano, violin and other musical instruments. He was always a family man, and he died in the early 60’s. I barely remember when he past away. It is one of my first memories, and it was a painful process for the family. My grandma moved from Tlalnepantla to Mexico city to live close to his two sisters Margarita (Mago) and Linda. Grandma was a faithful woman. I remember her as a devoted Christian Catholic. She walked every day f

Antonio started a great military career, and he was from the first generation of Pilots who had a formal training with the Mexican Army and US Air Force. He graduated with honors and his generation was called “Los Penicilinos” (The penicillin’s). He was ranked on the 5th place from the Air Force School from 5,000 students. By that time, World War II was on its apogee and German submarines launched an attack against Mexican oil tankers that were providing fuel and materials to the Allies. These attacks eventually caused the Mexican government to declare war on Germany; Mexico was involved on the war and was part of the Alliance, so they needed to send forces to join the battle front. Antonio was promoted to Captain and because of his high qualifications he was part of the leading team of the “The Aztec Eagles” the squad that is historically recognized as the "201". He was trained at Majors Field in Greenville, Texas on November, 1944. Here, he and other pilots received advanc

A s I look through family history and my past, I realize that I can gain a better understanding of my present and garner tools to help build a better future. So let’s get started: About my grandparents on my father side: My grandfather Antonio De la Mora was married to Martha Montaño Bosques. Together they had three children, all boys, Antonio (My dad), Jorge and Adolfo.My grandfather Antonio was a talented man; Politician, Musician, Composer and Publisher. He was the Master Band and Director for the Mexican Army’s 6th Infantry Band. Years later, he was the Band Master of the 20th Infantry for U.S. Army. He published a few music books in the USA. As a Mason, he reached the 33rd. degree, and participated on political activities in Mexico. He was the Secretary of Defense during the Adolfo De la Huerta Interim Government in 1920. Three years later, when De la Huerta was exiled, he moved to Wichita Kansas. He became a captive of the alcohol and in 1926 died from a heart attack. After my g