JOSE E VAZQUEZ

I, Jose E Vazquez, was born in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, on 02/12/1938. I am primarily of Spanish origin, with some Portuguese from my mother’s side (Peniche) and another bit of Mayan ancestry from both parents. I came to the USA when I was twenty-two years old. I was blessed in this life, and I will describe how by using the similarity of experiencing the four seasons of a year when considering my life span equivalent to one year.

The Spring: the first twenty-two years of my youthful existence, just enjoying the fantastic attractions of my native land in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, plus the essential school attendance needed by most of us as a child. When I became a young adult, I began searching for a goal in my life without my awareness.

The Summer: thirty-four years. It started in a growing city destined to be part of the famous Silicon Valley: San Jose, California. I stayed only two years here before I was drafted into the US Army, where I spent a couple of years of active duty, one of those in South Korea. After I joined IBM, I married my dear wife Terry at the age of thirty and had two beautiful children named Leticia and Adrian. I worked most of my life for IBM, initially in manufacturing as an assembler and test technician; afterward, I became a lab specialist and an engineer at the Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. At fifty-five, I was pushed into early retirement by a company downsizing. At this stage of my life, I became inspired to begin writing books. This season stood for working, planning the future, and the challenge of good parenting.

The Fall: We moved to Temecula, California. Thanks to early retirement, we spent twenty-four years in this growing city, now well known by its wineries. At this juncture, we enjoyed the grandparenting of our three princesses: Cayley, Caitlin, and Claudia. They are the daughters of Leticia; since she was busy working and her husband Curt, a sailor who remained at sea most of the time, we had the opportunity to become an excellent influential part of our granddaughters’ upbringing.

The Winter: In Anthem, Arizona, after already living five quick years in this place, we wonder about time, as it flies by too fast when we get older! Only God knows how far Terry and I will survive in this place. We are doing our best to enjoy the impressive attractions in this state, plus we make sure to equally show them to our frequent guests, friends, and family.