For a lot of impoverished Chicanos, what to do after high school is often a mystery. Many times, the family situation is the determining factor.

Some stay at home and get a job to help meet financial obligations. Others feel pressured to remain home as the man of the house when the father is absent. Many are caught between wanting to be independent to pursue their dreams or resigned to the fact their neighborhood is all they ever really knew. When I graduated from high school there were four of us who grew up together since grade school. We knew our destination.

Jaime, Pete, and Felipe joined the U.S. Marines within months after they received their high school diploma. Jaime followed the footsteps of his father, brother and uncles; all military veterans. Pete joined to escape being poor. Felipe joined to avoid the draft. He was certain the draft would force him into a branch of military service he would regret. At an early age, I was always told to go to college. I enjoyed opening books and reading stories. The four of us didn’t reunite until my buddies were discharged and earned their stripes and I earned my degree.

Pete married his high school sweetheart and had two girls and little Petey. Felipe also got married and worked driving trucks. That’s before he saved enough money to buy a local bar. Jaime again followed the legacy of his father and uncles and became a carpenter. After graduate school, I became a teacher. I guess you could say the four of us lived our lives as we intended. We started families and careers.

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Our Time Capsule

The other day I dreamed about a capsule; not the kind that explores unknown planets and travels to far away galaxies. That would have been my preference since I have read about such places and imagined such adventures. Instead, the capsule I dreamed about was filled with artifacts, photos, stories, and untold secrets. It kept me awake. My three buddies were there. In the capsule were a Swiss Army knife, a photo of Pete and Petey on a motorcycle, a catcher’s mitt, and a telescope.

Pete was an imposing figure at six-foot-one.  When he sported a Latino Afro he was larger than life. His dance moves at the Rainbow Ballroom were legendary. Eventually, tragedy struck. Pete wasn’t the same after little Petey was shot and killed at a local park, just three months shy of his 18th birthday. Pete began to preach the Gospel after Petey’s death. Jaime became renowned as an expert handyman.  He mended fences, fixed pipes, repaired cars, and installed electrical circuits. Never charged a penny for his deeds. Jaime’s favors delighted friends and family alike. Of course, to him, there was no difference. I stayed in college many years, earning a few extra letters at the end of my name.

Felipe was orphaned at early age. We respected his privacy and never inquired about the circumstances surrounding his loss. Felipe grew to be very self-directed and fiercely independent. He was a leader. He played catcher on all his baseball teams. Felipe ran his bar like it was a local vacant lot. But instead of playing pickup baseball, we hung out to talk about the good old times. While we never talked about our dreams and aspirations, each of us had visions of our future.

Our Space Capsule

While the time capsule dream was a delightful voyage to my past, a space capsule dream would have transported me to my future. A capsule depicts both time and space and fittingly reflects the lives of four ordinary friends. The relics of our past represented our younger days while a space capsule would capture our hopes and dreams in a far-away time and place.

It would be a mistake to think traveling on a space capsule was never a promising prospect for the four of us. It’s true, we never quite reached the stars. Our ventures were more pragmatic. We put food on the table, kept our promises to our children, and respected our parents until they left us.

Besides, when colonizing another planet, the astronauts will most likely be engineers, scientists and spaceship commanders. Already the Artemis project sponsored by NASA is preparing manned missions to the moon, as a stepping stone for sending humans to Mars. Perhaps someday I will dream of a space capsule and my buddies will be there again. Afterall, if we are to create a thriving community in a hostile world, it will take a teacher, preacher, leader, and handyman.

It would require someone who can fix things and problem solve in an unknown world and someone to preach the word of God under harsh inhabitable conditions to keep faith alive. A leader will be needed to direct others toward a common purpose in a community that never existed. Eventually, a school for children will be required to teach about Earth and its inhabitants. When that happens, the lives of four inseparable friends will have their dreams fulfilled.

About the Author

Paul A. Garcia of Fresno is a retired educator. He writes commentary on education and issues that affect the Latino community, as well as topics of general interest. He has a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership from Fresno State/UC Davis.