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San Diego Memories

~ Collected  in the Civic Center ~

Transcribed into The Mural 

1. People dancing here in the Civic Center. Couples with ballroom shoes and backpacks tossed to the side. There was no music, but so much determination. It was beautiful.

2. My first memory here (that stuck), was of being on a bus, a city bus – one of the bright red pretty ones… I am from the Philippines. There was a little girl of a different race on the bus. I smiled at her and she said, '’don’t touch me”.

3. I was a fisherman. That is why I am here; the sea brought me. The sea is with me everywhere. I remember the days the sea almost killed me in the worst storms. I remember the sea showing me the birth of the planet and places that still have dinosaurs. San Diego is my rest from the sea on land.

4. Being downtown and thinking; remembering, brings me back to being a little girl dressing up for what felt like the first time and going to see my first play. That was here in the Civic Center. Later, I remember meeting the Mayor here for the first time.

5. Fishing off the docks.

6. Surfing; surfers; surfboards on buses, cars; wetsuits hanging on fences; balconies to dry. Surfing and snorkeling has been a great memory growing up in San Diego.

7. Horton Plaza; it was fancy, spectacular! Nobody had seen anything like it before. There were Ferraris and Mercedes cruising the drop-off area. It was fun! Glamorous and amazing.

8. I find that at times when I am feeling down, I can always find a nice beach.

9. At that dinner… the surprise of joy when my children appeared; so happy, holding hands and dancing around.

10. Balboa Park, and all the libraries here helped me a lot as a single mom raising a daughter.

11. I came to the Civic Center when my brother graduated from High School. Not everyone graduated in my family and my brother was the first.

12. Connecting with people on all levels.

13. The Centennial Anniversary of Naval Aviation celebration over the San Diego Bay on Feb. 12, 2011.

14. During the Black Lives Matter marches I, as a homeless man was trying to sleep, but as they (the marchers) were already in front of me, I saw one of the marchers run towards me and I thought I was gonna be assaulted, but he stopped, pulled out his wallet, took a $20.00 bill out and handed it to me and ran as the police contingent (with batons) ran after him. I thought then I was gonna get hit by the police but no; they asked me, '’Are you alright?”. I was dumbfounded.

15. Rest in peace Father Joe.

16. Comic Con.

17. The Lighthouse in Point Loma.

18. '’I’m my father’s son”.

19. Yo y mi amigo platicando en las escaleras del Centro Cívico.

20. Submarines; that’s where I lived and worked for years.

21. Hillcrest is amazing and it is so very important to feel safe in my hometown with my friends and family.

22. Seeing the trolley for the first time was amazing!

23. I was standing at the crosswalk and I was smiling and I noticed other passerbys. They were reacting to the smile. They were smiling because they saw me smile. It happened on 4th and Broadway.

24. The strength of the community coming together in Chicano Park.

25. The day of becoming a naturalized citizen in the Civic Center.

26. Amor a la libertad. Libertad de expresión. Amor al indocumentado.

27. Getting ice cream with a friend when they are having a rough time.

28. Low riders in National City.

29. The aircraft carrier with the aircraft radar E2.

30. A Weather Paradise: Desert/Mountains/Beach.

31. Living in Hillcrest, there were dozens of protests that took place on the street I live on in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. There were such broad coalitions of folks standing in solidarity with our communities of color: a parade of skateboarders; a large group of bicyclists: the LGBTQ+ All together in protest.

32. The Stadium and Thank You to the workers.

33. The Harbor (calming).

34. Body boarding.

35. Fishing at Harbor Island before it became Fisherman’s Wharf.

36. Playing at Friendship Park and going back and forth on the beach between San Diego and Tijuana before there was a wall there between countries. I was a kid and I thought the whole world worked like that; sharing different snacks and games on beaches.

37. Sun rises in San Diego, every day is a new day”.

38. Animals at the SD Zoo are spectacular.

39. I remember four days of, Occupy” at the Civic Center. For me, for those four days, the poor mattered just as much as the wealthy, if not more.

40. Town Center Park is where I spent my graduation. I have spent all my free time playing soccer there ever since.

41. The best food and fun I have had is in North Park. There’s always lots of people hanging out and art to see.

42. I remember the Kumeyaay, the caretakers of this land.

43. My favorite memories are in Barrio Logan. Chicano Park is there, my family and friends are there; it’s my home.

44. I’ve been going to Balboa Park once a week for years. It’s always beautiful and is the best for chilling and relaxing. I can hear the voices of birds and sit under a tree.

45. I remember when there was a nearly daily outpouring of solidarity. Few moments stand out more than the protest that led into North Park with thousands of people.

46. My morning trolley route over the past five years takes me past nature and many different people. When I think of San Diego, I think of watching it move and change from my view on the trolley from the San Yisidro border to downtown.

47. I’ve spent my best family time at Charles Lewis III Memorial Park because it’s in my community.

48. My favorite memory is when civil rights legend John Lewis came to the Oak Park Library back in 2013; I believe the year was.

49. Seeing the world’s animals at the zoo in Balboa Park is endlessly amazing. There seems to be people there from all over the world too!

50. Ocean Beach Pier, for me, represents my town’s culture. Everyone around me is happy there.

51. I spend my time with my kids at Bill Clentor Community Park, making memories together every weekend.

52. Growing up in San Diego, going to the zoo and SeaWorld, and watching '’The Nutcracker” with my family at the Civic Theatre.

53. There is a canyon in South Park where you can run around in what feels like a wild space and hang hammocks on special days.

54. Skating. Linda Vista Community Park is where I skate. Skating is in the Olympics now, so we can celebrate its artistry and not look at skaters as criminals.

55. My memories are in my neighborhood. Eating food from so many different countries in City Heights and learning about different cultures from all the different people there.

56. The swap meets in Spring Valley are where I have enjoyed myself the most. Swap meets are an adventure every time.

57. Mission Trails is the best! Hiking, riding bikes, running and walking with and without dogs.

58. I love the pier at Ocean Beach. Over the years it has been a friend to me and a comfort to return to.

59. A roller coaster on the beach! Belmont Park is my favorite memory. Like a dream.

60. My favorite memory was at the McDonald’s just outside of the San Ysidro Port of Entry. That’s where my marriage proposal happened. That location is a true blend of San Diego and Tijuana, like me and my wife.

61. The Ken Movie Theater in Kensington. I grew up in that movie theater one incredible film at a time.

62. Balboa Park is magical day and night.

63. Watching planes fly at the airport in Port Loma.

64. Dancing with the nicest people at Queen Bees in North Park.

65. Old Town is where my favorite memories of San Diego are, it has the oldest building in the county, Mexican food and craft, blacksmiths, people in historic clothes, salt water taffy, tourists, locals, live music. It’s very hard to tell what is fake or real there, but it is all fabulous.

66. The sight of flying into the airport with the ocean and palm trees… I know I’m home.

67. Funky amazing trips with my friends on the Turista Libre Bus guiding us to Tijuana delights and bringing us home.

68. Seeing surfboards on the city bus!

69. Eating the world’s best tacos – whenever I want!

70. Going on a deep-sea boat and seeing whales and dolphins.

71. Eating a live sea urchin at the farmers market. So delish! But, I still don’t know how I feel about it.

72. Seeing the grunion run by moonlight on the beach.

73. Palm trees every day.

74. The lighthouse in Cabrillo.

75. Growing up in a border town means everything to me.

76. The 4th of July where all the city fireworks went off at once.

77. Losing everything in the fire.

78. Kayaking in Mission Bay.

79. I remember becoming a US citizen here in the Civic Center. I remember when I learned I was not a US citizen. I remember when I first recognized myself as an American; it was when I realized I’ve spent almost my entire life in the US. I remember when I first realized when Mexico was here. I remember when I recognized all of indigenous peoples of this land.

80. I remember walking to court for the first time as a public defender.

81. Times when harbor drive was lined up with tuna boats one after another.

82. Balance, happiness and self-love. I came here for a visit and fell in love with the sunsets, parks, biking, surfing, food and sense of community. Best of all I fell in love with who I am and who I want to be.