candid chicana

5 Ways To Obliterate Idleness

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The hours we waste are golden hours

And stand for money lost,

For every idle minute spent

We have to meet the cost

The man who wastes two hours a day

Has hindered his career,

And shortened up his working time

Six hundred hours per year.

–Author Unknown

It has been frustrating in the past few weeks to find the free time to write for my blog and to work on my writing projects. Being a full time working mom has left me little to no time to practice my craft.

In the past weeks I would end up writing until 3 or 4 a.m. in the morning after being at work all day. That was already taking its toll on my body and leaving me sleep deprived.

Fortunately for me, I have some amazing employers who have come up with a brilliant revised schedule. One that will allow me, and the other shift manager, to rotate on a much better schedule. It’s like one week of Hades, and one week of Hawaii vacay.

That’s excellent news for me….because that’s 6 days of free time now. I am excited to finally have my most coveted resource, TIME! Time, so that I can finally write my children’s books.

I have made myself a little list of helpful tips to keep me on track with my goals. With some modifications, I am sure anyone can apply it to their own goals.

  1. Create A Work Space For Yourself – A space for yourself to do what you do. Whether you need a shop to do mechanical work on cars, or you need a sewing room to design clothes, make a space for yourself! I have been waiting to find a little desk so that I can do my writing. Finally, a few nights ago I came across one. Already I have more motivation to write, than I did before. Previously, I was trying to accomplish my writing goals on the sofa, bed, and even, the floor. Not ideal in the least. The key is to make and find “your space”. Gradually you can begin to personalize it with all of your special tools and create a more functional environment later.
  2. Have A Written Plan- Keep a little notebook or binder with your plans. As I have gotten older, the less I can remember off the top of my memory. Therefore I must rely on; apps, calendars, task lists, sticky notes, notebooks,etc…Don’t worry it’s normal! That just means we have a lot of people relying on us. Our brains are overloaded with information. So invest in the right tools of your trade.
  3. Eliminate Time-Wasters– Social media is the number one culprit in my case. Give yourself some restrictions and or rewards. For example in my case I might say, After I write and publish my blog post, I may log onto social media. In another example, a mechanic might buy some special tool from Amazon as a reward for fixing 5 cars. I don’t know….you will create your own little rules and rewards to accomadate your special needs.
  4. Use The Time Wisely- For me, I think just establishing a certain time/hour for me to write consistently, will be my key to success. Once you have your space and your tools, all that’s left is you! You have to do the work.
  5. Track Progress/Measurements- My personal way of tracking my own progress is aligned with my new years resolutions I made in January. I could make a new tracker, but honestly I want to keep it simple and achievable.

So there you have it! 5 ways to obliterate idleness. Let me know what type of space you have. Leave comments below. Or share your pics.

Works Cited

Quote taken from:

Braude’s, M., Jacob. 1965. Complete Speaker‘s And Toastmasters Library. Rhyme And Verse – To Help Make A Point. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Good People – (Part Two) Gale Sayers – Former Chicago Bears Runningback & Philanthropist

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I don’t know anything about football. Or any sport for that matter. (Forgive me) But…one thing I do know, is good people when I meet them.

And I do come across them everyday in my daily interactions at work, and out in my community. So let me tell you how I learned about a great football legend named Gale Sayers.

A man who is the epitome of good people. Not just because of his fame, but also for his “active philanthropy.” He was, and still is good people.

I learned about Gale Sayers through my coworker Gary (who by the way is also good people). Gary is the son of the legendary football player 🏈.

I have discovered that telling other peoples stories is a new favorite pastime of mine.

Even though I have never had a favorite football team, I now have a favorite football player. That is Mr.Gale Sayers.

And while most of the world is fascinated with him because of his impressive footbal status, I on the other hand, am more impacted by the other aspects of the mans life.

Gale Sayers was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1965. He played from 1965 to 1971. According to an article published on CSPN, he still holds these records: the record for most touchdowns by a rookie (22), the highest kickoff return average (30.6 yards per return), and is tied for the most touchdowns in a game by a single player (six).

After watching a few YouTube videos, to learn more about him, I began reading the comments. I like to read comments because it gives me a little insight into other people’s thoughts and it helps me formulate my own opinion.

One commentor said, “Sayers was the kind of graceful athlete whose work became fine art.” and, “…everyone said he is beautiful to watch.”Another commentor said, he is like “artwork in motion.”

In the Gale Sayers Biography, I learned that he is the youngest football player inducted into the professional football Hall of Fame. At the age of 34.

Before he was in the NFL, he played college football at the University of Kansas and was known as “The Kansas Comet.”

Unfortunately after a football injury, his career came to a screeching halt. Gale Sayers never fully recovered despite having knee surgery.

Now here comes the parts of his life that interest me a little more.

In 1967 he was the roomate of another football player named Brian Piccolo. Brian Piccolo is white and Gale Sayers is African American. This caused a little rukus because of the segregation still happening at the time.

“They were roomates, but could not go out in public and eat a meal comfortably during a period when barriers of racial segregation had yet to be fully dismantled.”

Despite the chaos happening with the civil rights movement and all of the racial tension, Gale and Brian became good friends. They both played the same position. This usually led players to have a more rivalry relationship between players. But not these two guys.

Sadly both of these remarkable men had short football careers. Brian developed lung cancer and died shortly after. Gale never fully recovered from his injury.

But the loss of his good friend Brian had an intense impact on him. There was a movie created to depict their friendship. The film is called Brian‘s Song. Gale also wrote a book about putting others before yourself in a book called I Am Third.

Mr. Gale Sayers became an active supporter of many organizations such as The Boys & Girls Clubs of America, The Boy Scouts, and The American Cancer Association. He also formed the Gale Sayers Foundation in 2007, with the aim of providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children.

Pastor T.L.McBeth who resides in Fort Worth, Texas said that “Gale Sayers was a people person. He didn’t forget where he came from. He always found the time to help people and to talk to them.”

Featured below is Mr.Sayers speech. His words are inspiring no matter who you are. Black or white, young or old, Man, Woman, or child.

God gave me a great gift and I had a lot of developing for this occasion. Reaching this point, however, is not as important as striving to get here. This is true in all professions and all of life’s activities. There are doctors, lawyers, schoolteachers, plumbers all who strive to do their very best with their abilities. We hear a lot today about how the American people have lost their dedication to excellence. I don’t believe that is true. Each of us excels at different things, sometimes in areas that are only a hobby, more often in our life vocation. The most important thing however, is to strive to do our very best. Nothing is more of a waste than unrealized potential.”-Gale Sayers

Works Cited

Ott,Tim.,Gale Sayers Biography, The Biography.Com, URL: http://www.biography.com/people/gale-sayers-9472953.

Sibor,Doug.,A History of NFL Running Back Careers Ruined By Injury

Gale Sayers Speech Taken From http://www.encyclopedia.com/people/sports-and-games/sports-biographies/gale-sayers.

Good People | Buena Gente – Part One

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A very frequent colloqiualism I heard growing up in the Mexican community, was:

“El/Ella es buena gente.” Which basically translates to: “He/She is good people.”

I also read that “good people”is not proper English. It is considered Black Slang in A Dictionary of Afro-American Talk by Clarence Major 1971 1513N.

I recently celebrated my 35th birthday on February 13. I am so blessed that in these 35 years I have had the privilege to meet some really “buena gente”,”good people.”

The reason I first started my blog was because I lost the most “buena gente” person that I knew. My papi.He passed on to eternal glory in July of 2016.

He was truly “good people.” He was brave, intellectual, empathetic, resilient, kind, he had a sense of humor, and so many other things.

As I have previously written, I miss our candid talks the most. Towards the end of his life he was just too ill, to have one more talk with me.

And although I desperately wanted to ask him to, I refrained myself from doing so. He was suffering greatly and I didn’t want to be selfish.

I think that’s what I mourn the most. That I can never fill that void. That I can never talk to him again. I mean he can hear me, but I can’t hear him.

Maybe that’s why my blog is the prescription that I need to give me a little bit of pain relief.

He was the only one who would listen to me. I mean really listen to the words I was saying. Then he would THINK about his response.

He would give me sound, rational advice. He just always knew what to say. I never know what to say or how to say it, hence the reason I try to write it instead.

Now that my dad is gone my joy comes from meeting all the “good people” in the world that I come across.

It makes me happy when I meet someone (especially complete strangers) who are willing to chat up a storm about whatever strikes our fancy.

I love to see their raw emotions. I love to find a way to connect with them. I enjoy listening to them tell me their stories. And I get excited to share them with you.

I hope you continue to follow my blog because in part 2 of my “Good People” “Buena Gente” Blog Mini Series, I will be sharing with you the story about how I met the son of a Former NFL Hall of Fame’r who is the epitome of ” good people.”

This is one story you won’t want to miss.

I dedicate this mini series to my loving father. My hero. Jose Guadalupe Montalvo. You are greatly loved and missed Papi. I hope I make you proud. I love you! This February, this “love” month, I will share my love by telling the stories of these “good people” with the world. Even if I’m only reaching 60 people right now.

It is not what he has, nor even what he does, which directly expresses the worth of a man, but what he is.

-Henri Frederic Amiel

A Crazy Myth Writers Need To Kill

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Im reading The Audacity to be a Writer: 50 Inspiring Articles on WRITING that Could Change Your LIFE.

This book is a compilation of articles by Bryan Hutchinson and many other contributing authors.

Tonight I’m reading the article titled: A Crazy Myth Writers Need To Kill.

This particular article is right on time.

I have been doubting myself and my writing”talent”. I have produced about a dozen blog posts for my blog Candid Chicana since I started in Nov of 2016. The problem is that I hate them all. I feel like I need to go back and tweek, fix, edit, rewrite, change, omit, and revise every single one of them. I’m so dissatisfied that I even contemplated deleting them entirely and starting over.

Most writers probably doubt their skills and abilities. I think that is because they obssess about being good writers. They tend to be the harshest critic on themselves. And with good reason. They passionately care about the quality of their work.

According to Hutchinson,”Simply because some people tell you that you need to know everything about writing doesn’t mean you need to know everything, at least not the way they do. If you buy into such assertations, Writer’s Doubt will eat you up and spit you out.(Hutchinson, Bryan pp.20.)

The Myth:

  • You need to be an expert in all aspects of writing to be a writer.

The Truth:

  • “You don’t need to be a grammar master, you don’t need to know everything about punctuation, and you don’t need to be able to teach English 101. Sure it’s great if you can, but it’s not necessary.”

He compares Stephen King and Danielle Steel, both whom are bestselling authors. King received a B.A. in English in 1970 and published his first novel, Carrie in 1974. Steel never studied writing in school yet she is the fourth bestselling author alive today, with over 800 million copies of her book sold to date.

This has reassured me that it’s okay if I don’t know it all. That I am not required to know it all in order to be a writer. The only real requirement, is to W R I T E! I know I have to work on the mechanics of my writing, but that’s a daily process. Each day I learn more and more and immerse myself in the process.

I don’t have to compete or compare myself with anyone. I just have to do what I love. I just have to write. At the end of the day if I really am an awful writer, there’s still hope for me.

Charles Dickens and Mark Twain were both dropouts and still managed to succeed. There’s hope for me ya’ll! If you are still clicking on my blogs, I thank you very much. Perhaps one day I will write something really profound. I pray that I do.

Thank you for reading my blog.

Leave comments or thoughts below. Let me know if you have suggestions for me or writing tips and advice. I’ll take all the knowledge that I can get. If you have book suggestions please post them in the comment section as well. Better yet, tell me what books you are reading.

Goodnight folks.

Work Cited: Hutchinson, Bryan, The Audacity to be a Writer, 50 Inspiring Articles on WRITING that Could Change Your LIFE. 2015.

CANDID CHICANA’S Cognitive Word Reflection # 1.

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Many people have a fascination with words. I am one of these people. I love to read anything. From books 📚 and magazines to articles and newspapers📰. I especially love to read quotes and famous speeches given by prominent people. I love to read short stories, poetry, and lyrics and social media content too. And one of my new favorite literature genres to read are blogs. Literature is my language.
Words are so powerful. They have endless capabilities. When I was just a girl I loved vocabulary words and rejoiced at discovering unknown words. Gleefully, I would pull out my dictionary and read the different definitions for the word because it was fun.

I seem to always read something so great that I want to share it. Although nobody has time for anything anymore. So if you are reading this blog, I LOVE YOU! And I hope you too will enjoy some of the cognitive word reflections I will be sharing with you this year.

These cognitive word reflections will mainly be based on any one of these literature types: maxims, lists of information, quotes, sayings, poems, excerpts or any inspiring written words. I’ll also definitely be including some dichos and frases!(Mexican sayings and phrases)

So here goes the first one.

Some people are willing to work, only if they can start at the top and work up.

Candid Chicana‘s Cognitive Word Reflection:

I have been reading a lot about successful people and how they became famous. One thing that they all have in common is that they had critics and doubters. But they started at the bottom and they worked their butts off to get to the top.

You have to be willing to start wherever you are at. Then you need to have endurance if you want to make in in the long haul. You can’t be easily offended. Let the critics critize because that’s their job. You just keep showing up and doing your part. You have to keep going when you fail. You have to keep trying and never give up. That is the only way your dream will survive.

Maybe your dream is to own and operate a dance studio…you have to believe in yourself…you can do it! Or perhaps you have always wanted to go to school or even vocational studies. Have you been dreaming of that school where they teach you how to do airbrush painting on automobiles?

Go for it! Don’t wait anymore. Don’t put it off any longer. Don’t say maybe someday. As cliche as this sounds; “You Only Live Once”, and “Life Is Short”. Trust me I know. I put my dreams of writing on the backburner because life circumstances were kicking my @$$!

This weekend I drove to my hometown to deliver some belated Christmas gifts to my family. It’s about a 6 or 7 hour drive. On my way there I fell asleep at the wheel and hit a semi. This could have been fatal. Thank God it wasn’t. By HIS grace, me and my family survived without any injuries. But this was another life lesson learned for me. The lesson that another day isn’t promised. So don’t waste it!

Whatever you enjoy doing will probably direct you to your passion or calling. Listen to those dreams. I hope that all of your dreams, goals, and aspirations are realized.

Now goodnight fellow readers and friends. I need to deplete the deprivation and go to zzzzzzzz. I read an article tonight on Forbes, about the harmful effects of not getting enough sleep. I’ll post the link on this blog below. It was a really good read. And since I almost died because I fell asleep at the wheel …I get the message! I’m hitting the hay!

Credits and Works Cited:

Click link below to read the forbes article I refer.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2017/01/23/7-things-you-need-to-know-about-sleep-and-how-it-can-affect-your-career/&refURL=http://lnkd.in/&referrer=http://lnkd.in/

Bitmiji Photos: Bitmoji App

Quote Inspiration: Anthony, Robert Dr., Think Big (A Think Collection), Berkley, Aug 1999

Reminiscing

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Hi friends!

I hope after you see my high school memory, you will be inspired to share yours with me too. So feel free to send me one of your high school pics along with a current pic. Have you changed much? I have.

Here is a high school pic of me in an old yearbook. This was probably my senior year. It was a college info day. I was at the Marine’s recruiting table😂😂😂. Interestingly enough, I did not join the Marine’s.

Photo: Plainview High School Yearbook

However, Petty Officer Trent Miller, a U.S. Armed Forces Recruiter, did a swell job of convincing me to join the United States Navy. Hoorah!

I desperately wanted to be a (JO) in the Navy. In civilian terms that’s a journalist. But that ASVAB exam kicked my butt. It was seriously the most challenging exam I ever took. And I took many, including: the PSAT, the SAT, and the ACT. The ASVAB by far, gave me the most massive migraine imaginable.

My scores didn’t rank high enough for me to choose (JO) which was soul crushing, because I could imagine myself being a reporter in the Navy and working for the The Flagship or the Navy Times, two military newspaper publications. But seriously the exam tested things I was absolutely ignorant about such as; Electronic Information, Automotive and Shop Information, Mechanical Comprehension, and Assembling Objects.

I did the next best thing I could do, I became a culinary specialist in the Navy and earned my $30,000 Navy College Fund.🎓 I have a picture somewhere. I was holding a giant jumbo check like a lotto winner photo. 😂😂😂. I’ll have to look for it and post it at a later time.

So, after I graduated from Plainview High School, in Plainview Texas in May of 2000, I went to bootcamp in Great Lakes, Illinois.

After my graduation from bootcamp, I went to Culinary A School, in San Antonio, Texas at Lackland Airforce Base.

Following Culinary A School, I received orders to the fleet in Norfolk, Virginia. I survived 4 years in the USN from June 11,2000 to June 11,2004 of active duty. I participated in sea trials and was an original plankowner on the USS IWO JIMA (LHD-7), an amphibeous assault ship that carries approximately 3,000+ Marines and Sailors aboard this little “floating city.”

I got married, thus our marital status changed to dual military. And my orders were changed to shore duty. And I worked the other end of my occupation which was hotel management. Although military jargon describes these facilities as, barracks (not hotels). These barracks are typically for active duty stationed personnel. Mostly shore duty personnel.

Soon after I became pregnant with my first daughter in 2000 ( I was 19 years of age). I delivered her at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. Virginia.

I got married. (That was my first marriage).

I got pregnant again later with my second daughter (I was 21). Once again I delivered my baby girl at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.

Unfortunately for me, my first husband (now ex) divorced me, and abandoned his two daughters. ☮of💩!(My daughter’s gave me permission to put that, sorry, not sorry!)

Then at age 22 I received an honorable discharge. Afterwards, I went back to my hometown as a sorrowful and brokenhearted divorced mother, of two little princesses. I tried to put the pieces of my life together again.

They are the most amazing little girls in the world, so it wasn’t too hard to be happy.

It has been a bumpy ride, but we’re still going.

Here is me now!💋 See pic below. Life has been rough for me. Pero like mi papi taught me; sigo adelante!

Post your pics below in the comments or share them on my Facebook page with the #Reminiscing.

Contact me at either of these emails:

dstatam63@bethelu.edu

candidchicana@gmail.com

Aspiring Artists, Daring to Dream & Creating Compelling Content

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I bought two 📚 books by New York Times Best-Selling Author John. C. Maxwell at the Thrift Store where I am currently employed as a Cashier/Shift Manager.

They are titled: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, and Put Your Dreams To The Test: 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It.

I can not wait to delve into them. But I am so excited about a little excerpt from the dreams book. I’m a firm believer in sharing things that I find valuable. And so I want to share this excerpt with all of you.

But before I share that excerpt, let me just say that I am a novice blogger, a writer. I’m sorta learning as I go. Winging it! I am trying to “build a new identity” as the writer that I believe I am!(Scott, Steve)

And so obviously my goal is to perfect my own art of crafting compelling content. I‘m a writer. I worry more about my content than my grammar because I want what I create, to reproduce seeds of knowledge. It is summed up well with a quote I saw on a Facebook meme yesterday. It read,

“Write what should not be forgotten.”

-Isabel Allende

(Meme Photo Source Credit: The Writer’s Circle)

My self fulfilling prophecy is to become a Master Storyteller. I am ready to put in the hours, sweat, blood, or tears necessary to achieve this.

I heard Mark Cuban talking on an interview video this morning and he said something that registered with me.He was referring to content on real time social media. He said that on this new media landscape, critics have the platform to say, “oh he is an idiot” or, “she knows her stuff” or in my case,”her writing is mediocre” or, “she’s only a cashier, she doesn’t know anything”.

But guess what? If it gets them talking…then I’m doing something right. I know everyone won’t like everything I write everytime. But hey…I’m showing up. I’m working on it everyday. Why? Because this is my dream. And I will NOT let anyone’s opinion or criticism kill MY DREAM of being a W R I T E R!

Here is the excerpt from the book:

SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN DISCOURAGED FROM DREAMING BY OTHERS

Many people have had their dreams knocked right out of them! The world is filled with dream crushers and idea killers. Some people who aren’t pursuing any dreams of their own don’t like to see others pursuing theirs. Other people’s success makes them feel inadequate or insecure.

Business professors Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad wrote about an expirament conducted with a group of monkeys. Four monkeys were placed in a room that had a tall pole in the center. Suspended from the top of that pole was a bunch of bananas. One of the hungry monkeys started climbing the pole to get something to eat, but just as he reached out to grab a banana, he was doused with a torrent of cold water. Squeling, he scampered down the pole and abandoned his attempt to feed himself. Each monkey made a similar attempt, and each one was drenched with cold water. After making several attempts, they finally gave up.

The researchers removed one of the monkeys from the room and replaced him with a new monkey. As the newcomer began to climb the pole, the other three grabbed him and pulled him down to the ground. After trying to climb the pole several times and being dragged down by others, he finally gave up and never attempted to climb the pole again.

The researchers replaced the original monkeys, one by one, with new ones, and each time a new monkey was brought in, he would be dragged down by the others before he could reach the bananas. In time, only monkeys who had never received a cold shower were in the room, but none of them would climb the pole. They prevented one another from climbing, but none of them knew why.

Perhaps others have dragged you down in life. They’ve discouraged you from dreaming. Maybe they resented the fact that you wanted to move up or do something significant with your life. Or maybe they were trying to protect you from pain or disappointment. Either way, if you’ve been discouraged from dreaming, take heart. It’s never too late to start dreaming and pursuing your dreams.

-John C. Maxwell

I find it so insightful. Don’t let other people’s judgement and opinions stop you from going after your dreams just because they did. These monkeys got to the point where none of them even knew why they couldn’t go after the bananas. 🍌 They just deterred everyone else from going for them.

MY DREAM is to become a Master Storyteller, a Writer. And if it takes me my entire lifetime…I will persevere! I will create compelling content. I will be a Master Storyteller. And I hope I have inspired you to go after your dreams.

“Dreams come a size too big so that we can grow into them .”

-Josie Bisset

Don’t forget to leave your thoughts and comments below.

Works Cited

Cuban Mark: Only Morons Start A Business on A Loan . YouTube Video

Maxwell, C. John, Put Your Dream To The Test 10 Questions to Help You See It and Seize It

Meme Photo Source Credit: The Writer‘s Circle

Scott Steve, How to Form a New Habit (in 8 easy steps). Slide Share

Grito Mexicano

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One of my favorite things to do is listen to rancheras y mariachi music y corridos y tu sabes…….todas las mas chingonas canciones Mexicana‘s.

It also brings back memories of my childhood when mi mamai escuchaba her favoritos grupos. I remember Los Temerarios, La Mafia, Vicente Fernandez, Yolanda Del Rio, y muchos mas, would be playing on any given morning.

Oh……and the smell of Pinesol! If the musica came on, that meant it was time to stop being a huevona and help mami clean the house.

Music is like a time machine…that only teleports you back to yesteryears. How I wish I could go back to when mi papi was alive. I really would love to see him happy again. And listening to his favorite corridos mas padres!

Some of you know what a Mexican grito is, but many of you may not know. Well I’m not really sure of a technical definition of it but I’ll try to explain it.

A grito is a “yell”,”scream”, or a “shout”that has to be belted out at the perfect time during a song that’s really captivating your entire soul and being.

It’s like the song has hypnotized you and you can feel multiple emotions throughout the song. Like feeling sadness, grief, aching, longing, longsuffering, pain, joy, happiness, valiant, strong, in love yet heartbroken, and more, all during the song.

The song is so powerful that it transcends the person listening and or singing. And I personally think it’s something every Mexican can do and that it was a gift given to us by our ancestors. No te creas! I don’t know…maybe I should go out and do a poll just to test my theory. But really, it’s not so hard, even los kids can do it.

I still listen to rancheras in the car with my own children. And I try to translate as much of the song as I can to my children.

I tell them about practicing their “gritos“, because this is tradition you know. And they must know, that the timing and execution of the grito is critical.

If you have never heard a grito you can search YouTube for some fun videos so you can witness the power of the grito.

So turn the musica on amigos y amigas. Let‘s pass down this valueable information to our hijas y hijos.