1. I learned to honor my mother and father;
2. I learned the languages of both my mother and father;
3. I learned not to be afraid of bullies;
4. I learned to love and let myself be loved.

5. l love life;
6. I love the Holy One;
7. I love my family;
8. I love my being;
9. I love my neighbour as myself;
10. I love and forgive my enemies;

11. I am a man;
12. I know where I came from;
13. I do what has to be done;
14. I know I am not perfect;
15. I keep trying to improve;
16. I don’t give up;

17. Puedo hablar y comprender el castellano;
18. Puedo escribir y leer el castellano;
19. Je peux ecouter et parler le francais;
20. Je peux lire et ecrire en francais;

21. Ich spreche bitte Deutche sprache.
22. Ich kann die Deutche verstehen, ein bischen.
23. Ich kann die Deutche schreiben, ein bischen.
24. Ich will die Deuctche lernen.

25. Ya mozhno po-govorit ryccky jeziky.
26. Ya mozhno po-chitaet i po-pisat’ po-ryccki.
27. Ya mozhno slushayet po-ruccki.
28. Ya nauchuss rucckyiy jezikoo.
29. C moevo detya, ya oochitelj.
30. I continue to try to brush up on my Russian skills.

31. Ana tetkella shway shway arabiya.
32. Inshallah, ana arabiya kwais tetkella.
33. I’m not giving up on my Arabic, despite the difficulties and obstacles;
34. Ani hebreu; sholom aleichem! Ekh at margisha, givirti’?
35. Mogu da srpski yazik razumeti, chitaeti, napisali, i govoriti. Hleb!
36. Takodzher hrvatski. Hljeb!
37. Takodzher mali bosanski, havala bogu. Kruh!
38. Jam ne” je djendje te bej dicke shqiptar. Si mund t’ju ndihmoj? (I can speak Albanian. Can I help you?)
39. Foghlaimim Gaelach. Eistim le Gaelach. Ii learn Irish Gaelic. I listen to Irish Gaelic.

40. I am developing better writing habits than I ever had.
41. I’m still earning some money;
42. I’m not being too hard on myself for my failures;
43. I did teach at least one student enough for her to go on to succeed in French in high school and college;
44. I tutored math at college level, both algebra and trigonometry;
45. I finished the calculus courses through the end of freshman year;
46. I hung in despite the onset of severe depression, and finished my Bachelor’s Degree;
47. I survived several bouts of depression, lived and survived the streets of Chicago, Memphis, New Orleans, New York, and Barcelona.
48. I saved money even though I was homeless;
49. I cleaned up my act, and joined the military;
50. I served nine years, and got an Honorable Discharge.
51. I abstained from giving in to my darker urges, when others committed acts of disrespect and otherwise acted dishonorably against me;
52. I turned my other cheek when others insulted myself and my family for being Mexican (even though we are more European than any other American I’ve ever met, and have no indigenous ancestry—our lineage is traced to the year 1320, and we are descended from the Padillas who fought the Emperor in the 1500’s, the Santoscoys of Guipuzkoa, and the Duke of Pendleton, Scotland.
53. My wife and I bought a house and land in Georgia;
54. We pay taxes as much as we owe, and we pay early;
55. I vote.
56. I served in Kosova in 2001;
57. My squad and I protected the Church of St. Nicholaus in X_ and the family of the priest;
58. My Division, including me, served and fought honorably in Operation Iraqi Freedom, initiating combat and seizing the objectives necessary to complete our mission in 2003;
59. I got my lieutenant, our trusty HMMV, and myself to Baghdad safely and in one piece;
60. I defended myself and my buddies when assaulted;
61. I treated my prisoners with respect and compassion;
62. I advised other soldiers to show respect for our enemies;
63. I learned that I can kill without hating;
64. I learned that I can forgive myself for having to kill;
65. I know that I have fulfilled my duty;
66. I pray for the souls of mine enemies;
66. I pray for peace in our time;
67. I pray for reconciliation between Moslems, Christians, Jews, and others.
68. I pray for an end to violence;
69. I pray that our leaders will realize what is the right thing to do, and do it;
70. I pray for understanding;
71. I pray to let go of pride;

72. I can make a mean peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
73. I have a green thumb.
74. I can survive in about any situation here on earth, lest it be a nuke fallling on me;
75. Any day I don’t get blown up is a good day;

76. I change my son’s diapers.
77. I watch over my children when their mother is tired or working or sleeping, or just needs a break.

78. I respect womyn, and teach my children to respect all other beings;
79. I know what respect for life is, and practice it.
80. I’m active in my neighbourhood, city, county, state, and federal politics;
81. I know who are my U.S. Senators, my Representative to the House;
82. I know who are my State Senator and Representative in Atlanta.
83. I know who are our County Board Chairman and my Dictrict Commissioner.
44. I know who are our munipal district representative and our mayor and our city maintenance man;
45. I know some heads of the Democratic Party in Georgia.
46. I can laugh at myself;
47. I’ve taught my son and daughter to laugh and enjoy life;
48. I’ve taught my daughter and son Spanish and German.
49. I’ve taught my wife Spanish.
50. I know when to quit.