Gentle cabrones:
I once knew someone — actually, I’ve known a lot of people who’ll fit this fable, but let’s stick with the someone.
I once knew someone.
Brilliant. Athletic. Handsome. Charismatic.
Everything I was not.
I was never jealous of him, but I did wish sometimes some of his magic might shake off on me. Because homeboy was cool.
Inexplicably, we were friends.
We grew up together and were on the same school track and hung out outside of school. We were close enough that one year, before school started, he confided that he wanted to hang out with me more instead of his other friends, because the other friends were trouble, and he wouldn’t end up in the best place.
He called it.
We drifted apart to the point where he joined my bullies in mocking me, which hurt, but whatever. He became a campus hero, while I remained a campus nerd. But there was one big difference between he and I.
Tenacity.
**
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We finished high school. He went off to a nice university, I went to community college.
His biggest fault was that he coasted on his preternatural talents. His grades could’ve been better, his achievements could’ve been better, his arrogance could’ve been tampered down, and he knew all of this. But he didn’t care, because he felt his natural talents would take him to where he wanted to go.
The guy never lived up to his potential. He ended up better than a schmo, but that’s the tragedy: Homeboy could’ve been so much more if he had just not believed his own hype.
Me? Since I had no natural talents, I WERKED.
And here I am.
I think about him and others like him whenever I encounter underachievers, which is often. They’re a subset of people I despise almost as much as hypocrites, ingrates and convenecieros. Failing to live up to your abilities is the epitome of arrogance, an insult to people who believe in you.
Hey, we all have our moments. I was one of those people, too. But I snapped out of it once I finished high school (My one natural ability: singing Beatles songs upon command). I knew what my shortcomings were, so I worked on them to be able to overcome them and get to where I wanted to go.
I’m still working on them. Don’t take anything for granted, and — more importantly — always improve, because YOU ALWAYS CAN.
This is why I’ll always take a person with average talent but an incredible work ethic over a genius who’s lazy and entitled. The former people always get somewhere in life; the latter folks fizzle out and go nowhere.
To that point: Back when I had interns, I’d ask them a simple question: What’s the importance of hard work?
Who cares about working hard, one once responded. It’s about working smart.
He didn’t get the internship.
Working hard IS working smart. That means you don’t take a single damn thing for granted.
Me and him haven’t talked in maybe 15 years. I hear he brags about having known Gustavo Arellano way back when, and does it in a genuinely proud way.
That’s nice.
GRÍTALE A GUTI
This is the column where I take your questions about ANYTHING. And away we go…
Any Netflix documentaries on the grill? Some suggested hot topics: Haitians on the border in Mexico, an interesting happening when you mix Caribbean culture with Mexico. AMLO and his social programs. How poor Mexicans have a chance to move up the social ladder. Chicano athletes in the Pro Leagues. I see many names in the Championship series with Latino last names. Many Mexicans in the NFL, MLB, PGA, Olympics, boxing, soccer (local and international), Formula 1, etc..
Many Mexicans in the Big 4 professional leagues? No. Netflix documentaries for me? Nah. They know where I am — and here we are.
Got a question for Guti? Email me here.
**
First time reading this newsletter? Subscribe here for more merriment! Buy me a Paypal taco here. Venmo: @gustavo-arellano-oc Feedback, thoughts, commentary, rants? Send them to mexicanwithglasses@gmail.com
We finished high school. He went off to a nice university, I went to community college.
His biggest fault was that he coasted on his preternatural talents. His grades could’ve been better, his achievements could’ve been better, his arrogance could’ve been tampered down, and he knew all of this. But he didn’t care, because he felt his natural talents would take him to where he wanted to go.
The guy never lived up to his potential. His job is fine, but homeboy could’ve been so much more if he had just not believed his own hype.
Me? Since I had no natural talents, I WERKED.
And here I am.
I think about him and others like him whenever I encounter underachievers, which is often. They’re a subset of people I despise almost as much as hypocrites and convenecieros. Failing to live up to your abilities is the epitome of arrogance, an insult to people who believe in you.
Hey, we all have our moments. I was one of those people, too. But I snapped out of it once I finished high school (My one natural ability: singing Beatles songs upon command). I knew what my shortcomings were, so I worked on them to be able to overcome them and get to where I wanted to go.
I’m still working on them. Don’t take anything for granted, and — more importantly — always improve, because YOU ALWAYS CAN.
This is why I’ll always take a person with average talent but an incredible work ethic over a genius who’s lazy and entitled. The former people always get somewhere in life; the latter folks fizzle out and go nowhere.
Me and him haven’t talked in maybe 15 years. I hear he brags about having known Gustavo Arellano way back when, and does it in a genuinely proud way.
That’s nice.
GRÍTALE A GUTI
This is the column where I take your questions about ANYTHING. And away we go…
Any Netflix documentaries on the grill? Some suggested hot topics: Haitians on the border in Mexico, an interesting happening when you mix Caribbean culture with Mexico. AMLO and his social programs. How poor Mexicans have a chance to move up the social ladder. Chicano athletes in the Pro Leagues. I see many names in the Championship series with Latino last names. Many Mexicans in the NFL, MLB, PGA, Olympics, boxing, soccer (local and international), Formula 1, etc..
Many Mexicans in the Big 4 professional leagues? No. Netflix documentaries for me? Nah. They know where I am — and here we are.
Got a question for Guti? Email me here.
**
Enough rambling. This was the semana that was:
IMAGE OF THE WEEK: Me with Heritage Barbecue maestro Daniel Castillo on set in front of his four 1,000-gallon smokers. Best ‘cue in California is courtesy of this Chicano, folks. Photo by @manwithanappetite, a genius who WEKRS.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: ““Jogging and doing all these exercises, that’s easy,” says Narro. “The hard part is losing because people don’t know how to lose. Like I tell the boys, ‘Look, man, life’s gonna be harder than this shit. You gotta get back up ’cause you’re gonna lose family members. Your mom is gonna pass away. Your dad. That’s way harder than losing a fight. So if you can’t handle a loss in a fight, how in the hell are you going to deal with life?’”
–Dallas boxing coach, as told to Robert José Andrade Franco
LISTENING:“Perfidia,” Phyllis Dillon. One of the most iconic boleros, in a rocksteady beat? DUH. Been listening to this song for 15 years, ever since I bought a rocksteady CD in Manhattan before appearing on The Colbert Report, and have sung it ever since.
READING: “The Ghost Crop of Goa”: A gorgeous elegy to a specific lifestyle of Indian rice.
SHOUTOUT TO: Diane, who kindly donated 50 tacos to sponsor TWO full month of MailChango! Her plug is for Charles Southward: “A formerly unhoused Veteran, who grows fresh organic vegetables for the Salvation Army shelter iN Bell. Monetary donations and support are appreciated and needed.”
Gustavo in the News
“L.A. Times, Times Community News and ‘L.A. Times Today’ Shine in Los Angeles Press Club Competition”: My colleagues won first-place awards; I got third place ones.
“Alta Journal Takes Home Five First-Place Honors, 18 Total at SoCal Journalism Awards”: My colleagues won first-place awards; I got third place ones.
“California Playbook”: Politico’s Golden State newsletter plugs a columna of mine.
“A New Plant-Based Burger Spot Gets Colorful in the Heart of West Hollywood”: Eater LA plugged an Alta appearance of mine.
“‘The Next Thing You Eat’ From David Chang and Morgan Neville Premieres Today on Hulu”: I’m on another David Chang show!
“One Killed, One Injured After Alec Baldwin Fires Prop Gun on Local Film Set”: The Santa Fe Reporter includes my podcast in their daily news roundup.
“Latino Theater Company Presents RE:ENCUENTRO 2021 Digital Festival”: The play based on my work is virtually heading to L.A.!
Gustavo Podcast
Latest roster of episodes for “The Times: Daily news from the L.A. Times,” the podcast that I host. Listen to them, and SUBSCRIBE. Don’t let me become the Poochie of podcasts!
“A matter of a piñon”: I discuss the delicious, endangered pine nut of New Mexico with the compa Russell Contreras and the comadre Tey Marianna Nunn.
“LGBTQ+ comics on Dave Chappelle’s Netflix special”: My former OC Weekly colleague/current LA Times colleague Nate Jackson takes over hosting duties for the day.
“Unclogging America’s biggest ports”: A roundtable about the supply chain fiasco, and the role of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“We know how to fix the syphilis surge. Will we do it?”: A harrowing subject, with a glimmer of hope.
“Disabled and pregnant? Good luck finding a doctor”: I turn the mic over to my awesome colleague Sonja Sharp.
Gustavo Stories
“Grítale a Guti, Ep. 74”: My latest Tuesday night IG Live free-for-all talks talks CONCACAF, “Eastbound and Down,” Dia de los Muertos, and The Joy of Yiddish.
“The death of a Palestinian American in Santa Ana remains unsolved for 36 years”: My latest KCRW “Orange County Line” talks about the sadness that no one arrested for the assasination of Alex Odeh.
“Alta Live: Heritage Barbecue Founder Daniel Castillo”: I appear on Alta Journal’s weekly lunchtime Zoom chat with a first — an onsite interview with the best damn barbecue this side of Goldee’s.
“LA Times Today: ‘The Times’ daily podcast debuts”: I appear on Spectrum One’s LA Times show to talk up the podcast.
“Column: A Black mother lost her son to police violence in 2008. People are finally saying his name”: My latest Los Angeles Times columna talks about Julian Alexander, an innocent Black man killed by Anaheim police officer Kevin Flanagan in 2008. KEY QUOTE: “Today, the police slaying of a Black man or woman would spark protests, national news coverage, another bout of soul-searching. But Alexander’s death, just days before the historic election of Barack Obama, barely registered outside of those who knew him.”
“Column: What In-N-Out’s vaccine standoff reveals about the California dream”: My next latest LA Times columna talks about the overrated hamburger chain’s latest controversy. KEY QUOTE: “To paraphrase Joan Didion, we tell ourselves lies in order to live in California, and In-N-Out proves that.”
You made it this far down? Gracias! Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram while you’re down here. Don’t forget to forward this newsletter to your compadres y comadres! And, if you feel generous: Buy me a Paypal taco here. Venmo: @gustavo-arellano-oc
