Humans of Downey - Charles

From the Memorial Day Ceremony at the Downey Cemetery, May 27, 2019.

"It's hard to play [taps] sometimes because of if you think too much about it, you can easily crack a note or worse. But famously, the bugler that played taps at President Kennedy's funeral cracked a note but no one cared.

"I couldn't play taps for my dad's funeral. I just knew I wouldn't be able to get through it. I had my best friend, Larry, who's a fabulous trumpet player, play it. I've been doing this Memorial Day service in Downey for eleven years. It kind of rolls up on you. It doesn't hit you in the first couple of notes, but once you get going and you start to realize everyone's listening and everyone within themselves is thinking what it means to them. And if you let that get to you, you'll screw it up.

"I played taps for my boss a few years ago. I worked for a company that built trumpets down in Anaheim. When I left, we didn't part on the best of terms, but when he died the family asked me to play at his memorial. I was so grateful that they did. I was playing and handling it alright even though it was a hot dry summer day. I was handling it until I looked up and saw his urn and a large photo of him. That's when I distinctly heard his voice right behind me saying, 'Don't screw it up!' And so I cracked a note. It's hard to separate yourself from that emotion.

"There is an organization called Bugles Across America that is all volunteer. Their mission is to make sure that no vet has a funeral without a taps player."

~ Charles

Humans of Downey - Diego

"I come from a lower income Mexican family and I can remember times when we struggled to make ends meet. One Thanksgiving was tough for us because we didn't know if we were going to have dinner. The most important part of that day that I remember though is that the family was together and we were happy together. I was old enough to learn that the most important thing was to be around people you care about and who support you.

"Thinking about that part of my past and comparing it with today, I realize that my job here at The Mambo Grill is like that. I used to be a manager at a structural steel company. Then I took a part time job here on the weekends to supplement my income. But I found that I had made some good friends here. People that I could relate to, people who are going to be there to support me. That's why I left the other job to go full time here. Family is very important to me."

~ Diego

Humans of Downey - Pete

"My first truck was a 1998 Peterbilt 377. It cost me $15,000. It was a faded burgundy color, but the paint on the roof was so badly faded that I had to use Rust-Oleum high gloss black paint and apply it with a roller. I buffed out the paint myself. The whole truck was such a mess, I just started at the bottom and worked my way up. I cleaned it up as well as I could and was using it to transport cars within a month. If the truck had been in good shape when I bought it, it would have gone for $125,000. I kept it for a year and then sold it to purchase a 2013 Peterbilt 389.

"Eventually I sold that one and then bought this stock Peterbilt, which I have modified to look like it does today. I think it helps me to get more jobs. It's like going in for an interview in a coat and tie instead of shorts and a T-shirt. My truck and the pride I take in its upkeep impress potential clients.

"My dad was a truck driver and he put a lot of pride in his work. Often, he would take me out on runs. We would go from Long Beach to Phoenix, up to Las Vegas, and then back home. He let me clean his truck and work on it to make it look and feel better. I was make to drive a truck."

~ Pete

Humans of Downey - Kristen

"I'm like everyone else because I have a family that I love and want to take care of and do everything I can for them.

"My uniqueness comes in that I have a 12-year-old son that I met when he was one year old. I instantly fell in love with him. People that I've talked with tell me that it's not always easy to have a good relationship right off the bat. To us, it came naturally. And now, we're just one big happy family. So, even though my blood doesn't flow in his veins, I love him. He is my son."

~ Kristen

Humans of Downey - Jamie

"I am like everybody else in that I am kindhearted and I think everyone wants to be kindhearted. I want to be kindhearted to everyone that needs my help. If you have a flat tire on the side of the road, need help with your bags, need help crossing the street, someone's car is stuck and they need it pushed out of the way, I will probably get out and help.

"At age 6, my family immigrated here from El Salvador. The reason we left El Salvador was because of the civil war going on there. So, when we came here, I grew up appreciating everything here and what this country offers. I appreciated what you could make of yourself and all the opportunities available. I think I am unique because I truly appreciate everything I have including this country because of what it has done for me and my family."

~Jamie

Humans of Downey - Jim (and Andreas)

"I'm glad that I'm a dad. Andreas has brought peace in to my life. My father was always working. My dad immigrated in 1972, my mom came in 1975, and I was born in 1977. The immigrant work ethic was very strong in my family. To get ahead and give the children better than we had meant work, work, work. So, my dad wasn't around very much. Instead, I had my dad and my two uncles as my male role models.

"I followed in my father's footsteps by choosing to work, work, work. But I don't think that's fair to him, so I have chosen to calm my life down and spend more time with him. Bringing him here to sit and watch him hit golf balls is one way he helps me to be more peaceful. I had to step back and take a look at how I was earning money and see if I could be smarter about it. He is my future and if I want him to be a good person, then I'm going to need to be a role model and a mentor."

~ Jim

"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters."
~ George Herbert

Humans of Downey - Carla

"In tenth grade, our history teacher took our class to the House of Blues in Hollywood. There was an incredible amount of art work being displayed. What caught my attention was an exhibit that featured a lot of human skulls. They were distributed all over the House of Blues on different pieces of furniture. I remember the reason why the artist chose to display skulls in so many areas and in so many different mediums. The skull is universal. Everyone has one. That stuck with me ever since that field trip. It reminds me that I have that in common with everybody else. We all have a skull. As I remember that, it reminds me that we are all alike and yet different.

"Since I was a little girl, I've been told that I was the type of kid that marched to the beat of their own drum. I was always doing something different than my peers. In grade school, when the other girls were playing with their dolls and playing house during play time, I was coloring or doing other art activities. I was really drawn to art. At home, I played office. I played with papers, staplers, and other office supplies. My parents were small business owners. After school, I would spend most of my time at the office, helping out. I got to play with all the office supplies. My dad was in construction so I got to play with tools and other home improvement items that probably weren't safe for a child my age to play with—but I did it anyway.

"I believe the model I saw at home, my mother being a working parent, gave me the foundation and courage to make my own choices in life. Although she could have chosen to stay home, she chose to support my dad in his business. She would take me along on business trips so I was always on the go. That was my upbringing and it has made me the unique person I am today."

~ Carla

Humans of Downey - Joseph

"The way I see it, that we all are the same, is that we all have the same chance, we all have the same opportunity, we all have the same way to get toward something. Whatever our dream is we can go out there and accomplish it. The other way we are all the same is that we can converse with others and share ideas. Conversations are the great equalizer in a society. We all may have different dreams but in conversation we can share how we are achieving our dream.

"I am mostly shy. I ended up going through a different path to come to where I am today. When I was young, my mom would tell people that I was shy. When I was 18, almost 19, I actually started to be open to learning things from others that I was closed to before. I'm also unique because I like to struggle. When I find something is hard for me I want to go through it even more just to get through the resistance. So I actually started loving the struggle, the resistance, things that were hard. Even If I stuttered, I wanted to learn more and more. I have found that I want to learn more about people than I think they want to learn about me. I think I'm unique because most people want to talk about themselves but I would rather listen to others because I haven't lived much of my life yet."

~ Joseph

Humans of Downey/New Orleans - Michael

"I am the same as everyone else because I want to get along with everyone else. I see everyone as people and I want them to see me as people.

"I'm unique in that I have always been a hard worker. It started with how my parents raised me. I never missed a day of work. When I played sports in school, I played my best or I didn't play. When I graduated and went out into the world to work, I did my best or I didn't do it.

"My mom was a hard worker. I grew up on a farm and my mom was always working until the job was done. If the weather was harsh or she had an ache or two, she still finished the job. She taught me to give it my all."


~ Michael

(Posted by Pam on Steve's behalf.)

Humans of Downey - Shannon

"I am the same as everyone else in that community is very important to me. I'm involved in school. I'm involved in sports. I play catcher on our school's softball team. I'm the same as all my teammates. We bond as a team not only in practices but by having social times together away from the field.

"I'm different from others because I'm not a follower. Two of my friends and I were supposed to go to the mall but one of them said she was going to the park and smoke weed. I told my other friend that if she wanted to go with her that was her choice but I was going to the mall like we said. My convictions are important to me and if I have to be alone while standing for those convictions then so be it.

"My uncle had a dog, Emma, she's a pit bull. When I was younger, she was very protective. I lived at my grandma's and if any of the kids would yell at me she would bark at them and protect me."

~ Shannon

Humans of Downey - Joshua

Continuing with the theme of "dogs," I visited the Lazy Dog restaurant in Downey. It has a welcoming policy to dogs and their owners. They both can eat out on the patio. There I met Joshua, Shannon, and Bullet. Shannon will be my post for tomorrow.

"I'm still in high school and I'm just like everybody else there. I'm just doing what I need to do to graduate and then get a job. I'm trying to make these school days the best they can be. I show up and I study enough to get by.

"When I was about 15, my grandpa passed away. He was my best friend and it was hard getting through not having him around any more. I have this tattoo that says Grandpa Jim on my arm. To get through my grief, I was doing a few things I shouldn't have been doing. Then I met Shannon. She helped me focus on what I need to do in life to get back on track. That sets me apart from others. Not everyone has someone come alongside them to help them stay focused.

"Recently, I wanted a dog and in particular I wanted a pit bull. It didn't work out though, so Shannon surprised me with this German Shepherd/Boxer mix puppy. I fell in love with him the first time I saw him. We call him Bullet."

~ Joshua

Humans of Downey - Diego

"I would consider myself just like everyone else because I have a positive attitude. I try to contribute to the community here in Downey as best as I can. I work here at Goodwill where we take things that people don't want and then we find others that might want those same things. I believe that is a service to the city and to the community, but specifically to the people who are down on their luck. Some of our customers may not have the resources that we might have. That's how I contribute to the community.

"I had an incident recently that happened here at work. We are seeing a larger number of homeless people in our community. With the temperatures dropping to just above freezing, it concerns me. A gentleman came to the Donation Center and asked for a blanket. With all my heart I wished I could have given him something, but unfortunately these items don't belong to me. I'm not in the position to give anybody anything that has been dropped off. So, I had to tell him no. I prayed for him."

~ Diego

Humans of Downey - Jason

“I’m like everyone else in that I have a need to love someone and to be loved back. There are different levels of people’s ability to love and to accept others' love, but I need to be in those intimate relationships. Another way I’m like other people is that I want my sons to achieve their full potential. And I want to create an environment for them that lets them do that.

“One reason I’m unique has to do with how I responded to my parents’ lack of participation in my childhood activities. They both worked very hard and only had a small amount of time to spend going to my activities. So, I did it my way. With sports and my martial arts, I took the lead and just went with it. The adult in my life that did help out and spend time with me was my grandfather. He took me to different sporting events. He owned 11 gyms so I always did weightlifting. My aunt was a tri-athlete so she influenced me regarding physical hard work to achieve your goals. Two other ways I’m unique is that I run the largest non-profit reptile education group in California and I have a son with Down syndrome.

“Here’s a story that keeps me going this way. About 10 years ago I got my reptile organization involved with the Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation. One day, I brought two of my big snakes to the visiting area where two girls from the oncology ward came to see them. They were in their chairs hooked up to their oxygen masks and IVs. I set one of my albino Burmese snakes on this one girl's lap and she cracked this smile that, every time I tell this story, I get chills. I let her hold the snake, the mom got pictures, and the family was very excited. I’ve seen excitement in what I do and it always drives me on.

“About 10 o’clock that night I got a phone call, but I didn’t recognize the phone number. The voice on the other end said, ‘Jason, I don’t know if you remember me, but you came to the event today, you put the snake on my daughter’s lap and she had a big smile on her face.’ ‘Oh yes, I remember Ashley”, I said. She said, ‘I just wanted to thank you. Ashley passed away tonight.’ And I’m thinking, for what? She said, ‘I owe you everything right now. Without you, every lasting memory of my daughter would have been of her hooked up to those machines. Just nothing. But now I have evidence of my daughter smiling and having a good time and that’s what I’m going to remember.’ And I just lost it.

Stuff like that makes Jason Jason. I work 70 hours a week to keep my non-profit going. It’s who I am.”

~ Jason

Humans of Downey - Andrew

"On the most basic level, I am like all other humans in that I need to breath, drink, and eat. Two more reasons why I'm like others is that, one, I need community. I need to be accepted by others for who I am. Two, I'm broken just like everybody else.

"One reason why I'm unique is that my aunt raised me and my sisters. From watching her, we got our work ethic. Our mom never worked and we never talked to our dad. Our aunt raised us. She would get up at 3 or 4 every morning and work all day. She would come over each day to feed us and take care of us. We lived in our mom's house, but our aunt took care of us. Our mom was just lazy. So, as I was growing up, I saw my mom and my aunt and the choices they each made. I chose to follow my aunt and work hard and take care of myself.

~ Andrew

PS Andrew is one of the members of the construction crew on the Downey Rose Parade float.

Humans of Downey - Mike

"I think that enjoying music connects me to everyone else. I am a huge fan of music. I'm what some people call a metal head. I'm very into the old school rock-n-roll, old school heavy metal—Metalica, Motor Head, Iron Maiden, and stuff like that. Led Zeppelin is my all-time favorite band. That is basically a brotherhood. You can go to a metal concert or old rock-n-roll concert and as soon as you get there you feel a sense of comradery. Music speaks to each of us in our own way.

"The person that has helped me become the unique person I am today is Kelley [Humans of Downey - Kelley]. I first came down to help with the float when I was 18 years old. I didn't know anything that was useful to build a float, but the first day Kelley asked me, 'Hey, do you know how to weld?' I told him no and then he asked me if I wanted to learn because we need help. I said yes. So, he taught me how to weld and from there my skills progressed. Then Kelley got me a job at Knott's Berry Farm as a ride maintenance mechanic. It's because of Kelley that I have the job I have now and the skills I now know. I am the person I am today because someone saw potential in me, taught me a skill, and gave me a chance and because I made a choice to make the most of it."

~ Mike


PS Mike is standing next to the small doorway that he has to crawl through to get to his position to drive the Downey Rose Parade float during the parade. He is lying on his stomach for the whole trip. See Lots of leg room, no view.

Humans of Downey - Kelley

"I am the same as everybody else in that I wake up in the morning like everybody else does, I go to work like everybody else does, take lunch, deal with problems that come up, come home, deal with issues and maintain the house. I think 'laughter is the best medicine' and so I think I enjoy humor, I enjoy a good smile, a good laugh just like everybody else.

"I am unique in that once when I was 10 years old, my neighbor and his sister were going to go down and decorate a parade float and I really wanted to go but I was on restriction. So I went and I pouted and cried and went to my room. Then I opened the window and jumped out, hopped over the neighbor's fence, and met them on the next block. Then I went down and decorated a float.

"I met some pretty interesting people and had a lot of fun. They showed me how to decorate a float and that just drew me in more. I wanted to know more about it. I kept coming back year after year and now I've been construction chairman of the Downey Rose Float Association for the past 28 years.

"My parents knew exactly where I was within 15 minutes of my jumping out that window. They said that I could have been doing a lot worse. But that I was still on restriction."

~ Kelley

PS Kelley is standing in front of this year's Downey float. It won the Queen's Trophy for 'Most outstanding presentation of roses.' It is currently parked in the parking lot of the Embassy Suites on Firestone Blvd. where it is on display. Go by to see it up close. You can even buy roses off the float.

Humans of Downey - Karla

"I think I'm the same as everybody else in that I get angry when someone causes pain to another person. I also get angry when someone causes me pain. On the positive side, I am a loving person. I love my family. I love that they love me and support me. I love my husband. He is a very loving and caring person. He's always wanting to help and care for others.

"The only thing I can think that is unique about me it that I work with my dad in construction and painting. The fact that I am a woman in this business is not seen very much in the Southland. When I go into the stores for our material, people tend to get surprised when they see me. I get asked a lot, 'Do you work in painting?'. My responsibility on the job site is safety. To make sure that all the equipment is working and we have all the safety equipment we need. I also make sure pedestrians are kept out of harm's way. My dad taught me that safety is one of the most important pieces of a finished job. If we were to have a history of accidents we wouldn't be in business for very long."

~ Karla

PS Karla works for Alberto Rodriguez painting, Santa Barbara. They were here for the past 4 months painting all the buildings of Downey Landing. My interview was on the last day of their project where they were painting the Downey Landing sign.

Humans of Downey - Daniel

"I'm just like everybody else in the aspect that I like to suspend reality for a few hours and go to a movie. I like being an extra in everybody else's lives and be in the background. I'm the guy in the bar sitting in the background. That makes me feel normal. I'm an ant in this huge colony and that's just fine with me.

"On the other hand, I've traveled the world because I was in the navy. I've been to Dubai. I was in the Persian Gulf when we had all that action with Iran in 2007. I could have been anywhere else in the world, but I ended up in Texas and then back here in Downey. I went to Downey High School and being back feels like I'm home. So, with all those experiences condensed into a 34-year-old body, I feel I'm different from others.

"Also, when I worked at Disneyland I knew I was part of someone's vacation. You are put in a position where you can make someone's day 'magical'. Knowing that I could have that kind of effect made me want to go to work everyday. I'd say to myself, 'I'm going to help these people not have to wait in line today,' or 'I'm going to play a game with these certain people.' That certainly ingrained itself in my personality so that I am more of a people person than I was before. I'm not afraid to go up to strangers and joke with them or at a bar, make some new friends. I think that makes me unique."

~ Daniel

Humans of Downey - Jennifer

"I am the same as others because I enjoy life, I like to go with the flow. I like doing things that are exciting. We go camping, go out on a boat, and we love going to the movies. I love doing these things with Daniel, my husband. When I love someone, I get butterflies in my stomach. When I see my husband, who has always been my protector, or when I see my son wake up in the morning, I get butterflies. My family makes me happy and I think, 'everything is OK.'

"I am unique because I went to school for forensic pathology. I like to work on dead people. When I was in the fifth grade at St. Raymond's here in Downey, I'll never forget this, my teacher was teaching us about JFK and his assassination. I remember the TV in the corner and watching the video. I got in trouble from the teacher because I asked her to play it again because I wanted to know how it happened, why it happened, where did the bullet go. She actually yelled at me for that, but I knew then and there that's what I wanted to do when I grew up. All that stuff fascinated me. I wanted to investigate, I wanted to find out the truth."

~ Jennifer

Humans of Downey – Magaly

"I believe that I am the same as everybody because I have feelings, I love others and I can get upset. I love all kinds of music, Cuban music, rhythm music, classical music. I get angry when people talk about other people or when they judge what other people are like based on how they look, when they don’t like someone just based on how they look. I love to walk down the street and smile at people to make them feel good because that’s how I feel when they smile at me.

"I am unique because when I was 9 years old, Castro took power in my country of Cuba and life became very hard for me and my family. After 8 years, my father decided to leave Cuba and immigrate to America. When he submitted his forms, my mom, my sister, and myself were sent to work on a government farm that was like a concentration camp while my father was sent to a different farm. Our family had a number around 33,000 and we had to wait until they reached our number. We worked on this farm and were separated for 4 years until our number finally came up and we were allowed to come to America as a family. This is why I get so upset with people who come to America illegally. I’m so glad my father decided to make the sacrifice and request to immigrate. It has been worth the hard work and pain we went through to live here. This is now my country. This is the country I would die for."

~ Magaly