Category Archives: Communication Breakdowns

Juan Brosales June 2009

Yolanda

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Now it is Tuesday. It’s been a melancholy day. It wasn’t anxious. I long for happy days and I can’t say they’ll be back since it doesn’t feel like it. I slept alright last night. I have to adjust my sleeping schedule since the new gig is approaching. Instead of going to bed at midnight, I think it will have to be 11:30.

I posted about Juan yesterday, and also posted on the social medias. I alerted Juan’s sister, not that I felt it was anything bad I wrote, just comparing his life with what is going on today. I did not think his mother would read it, but somehow she did. Juan’s mother seemed to take this as an attack, and I tried to assure her that it was not.

This is her post: I don’t think so. My son was American born & his parents & sisters are highly educated. We are very proud of where we came from & of how far educated we are. I don’t see your appreciation @ my son loyal friendship to you. As his friends say, my son was an Angel, much different than many people who feel superior than us Hispanics when many of them don’t even finish high school. At the age of 15, my son attended NYU. Please be informed that his sisters are Doctors & I, his mother retired with a masters Degree obtained from UMDNJ. The University of Medicine & Dentistry of New Jersey. I don’t see a reason why my son or any of us should have been a target. My son graduated @ New Jersey City University with high Honors for being the Suma Cum Laude of his promotion. Rest in peace my dear son until our Great Father decides to put us together as mother & son again.

Of course, I couldn’t tell her that some of the time Juan spent with us in Hoboken was to escape his mother’s house in Union City. Juan was great and a good man. I’ve posted so many times how much Juan was loved and welcomed here as a refuge from maternal stress in Union City. Somehow, she thinks I look down on Juan being Hispanic, which, if you know me, that is not the case.

I did reply to Juan’s mother: I recognize Juan’s intelligence, Yolanda and I recognize this administration’s lack thereof. They are disappearing citizens for their views and have stated they intend to do worse. Juan was liberal and open-minded and would have likely had something to say about the razing of Gaza, which has caused citizens and green card holders to be thrown in jail.
I definitely did not besmirch Juan’s life or legacy; I only stated that this administration would consider him an enemy.
I have been following what this administration has been doing and I am certain Juan would have been doing the same.
I regret that you may have misinterpreted what I posted.
Juan had friends in Hoboken who loved him and cared for him deeply.
He was incredibly intelligent and is sorely missed.
I am good friends with the Dean of UMDNJ.

I just don’t think Yolanda has been paying attention to what is going on in this country right now and feels that any mention of Juan that isn’t glowing is an attack, when it clearly isn’t.

The rose’s faded bloom

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Saturday evening and 55°. It’s been a crappy day for lack of a better word. Communicative methods didn’t work necessarily, or at least not how they should have. I had no problem communicating, but other people with whom I interacted certainly did. And in an effort to maintain that lack of communication, I shall refrain from posting about it.

At least that is how I feel at the moment. Bill was off to rehearse the staged reading that he is performing on Monday evening. I will be working the door, Mike’s going to be my guest. Our neighbor Deb is stage-managing the reading. I posted on the social medias for the past week or so but I have no idea how the turnout will be.

There were fliers that I had hoped to put up in various shops and stores but I never got them. I felt that a week or so before the event would be good enough to post these fliers but I think I was the only one thinking about these sorts of things. I was only trying to help but one can’t help people that do not want to be helped.

Mike came over and I helped him with his laundry. There was an unease between me and Bill and also between me and Mike. Lack of communication. In Mike’s case I held back on 99% of whatever it is that I wanted to say. He had his cereal and I hung his laundry to dry.

After his cereal, we walked to Guitar Bar where the fliers were reportedly sent. I asked Larry who was there on a busy Saturday afternoon who said the only flier that he knew about was hanging on the wall to my right. That was disappointing.

I bought a Powerball ticket and tried to tell Mike a joke about something that actually happened when I bought a lottery ticket a few months ago but he had something else on his mind and to his ears he heard white noise in more ways than one. I’m used to people having something on their mind when they talk and they eventually ask just what it was that I was talking about.

Mike doesn’t do that. I made light of that situation which made Mike agitated. Perhaps the rose is losing its bloom. Bill came home with the fliers that he picked up from the Guitar Bar which was an annoyance for me and also perfect for how the day had been proceeding.

Mike wanted to watch the Hunger Games which I remember Juan trying to get me interested in, but there was no interest from me. Bill was game and since the Hunger Games were not streaming he opted to rent it as I made dinner for the three of us.

I have to say it was a mediocre meal and I can get away with saying that since I am the one who made it. Bill and Mike sat in front of the TV watching the Hunger Games and I sat at the kitchen table reading while looking at rose petals strewn about the floor.