The Fooly

My parents have always been about documentation. It has to do with the fact that when they first arrived here in the U.S, phones and social media were not a thing. They would take pictures with a camera, print them out, and send them to Mexico so my family over there could see what my parents were up to over here. They also invested in a VHS camera, record special moments, make a copy of the VHS tape, and send those over to Mexico as well. As a kid, I was always fascinated with my roots and the past. My curiosity would lead me to the family photo albums or to watch VHS tapes to see how life was like before I was born. Sometimes, my family from Mexico would send us pictures and VHS tapes. I got to see what they were up to over there. I feel like it's because of this documentation that I feel connected with my roots even if I'm not present there.

Things happen the way they're suppose to happen but sometimes I wish I could go back and tell my High School self to start taking pictures and recording videos everyday. I would have captured my development as an artist, my time in college, and everything else up until I actually started thinking about documentation in late 2019. A vlogging series during my time in Ohio or when Soulreal and I were working on O.S.O.S Vol. 1 would have been special. 

I also think that documentation is important because our trials and tribulations can help others. I worked as a Youth Specialist for 7 years and my biggest resource was my lived experience. I thrived when I had the opportunity to talk to the youth about my life because when I was in their shoes, I learned a lot by listening to my mentors talk about theirs. I connected with the youth through stories and passing wisdom but they would always ask if I had any "proof" of it. When I produce content now, I keep the youth in mind. I ask myself the question, "What can a youngster learn from this?"