“Be happy, be positive, live life to the fullest, and yeah that’s pretty much it, and love yourself.”

Alexander Alcantar was a troublemaker as a kid. He wasn’t so good at school and he would steal many things. Now, he is twenty years old and is a high-school drop out and talks about how difficult life can be.

Alexander still has many dreams and goals to accomplish. Although he is a high-school dropout and has a difficult job, he is still a positive, happy man with a healthy strong family.

TRANSCRIPT:

Johan Alcantar: Hello my name is Johan Alcantar. I am 13 years old and today I’m interviewing my brother.

Alexander Alcantar: Alexander Alcantar.

JA: So Alex can you tell me something about your life or something about you? 

AA:  Well.. I’m twenty years old and I’m currently living in Los Angeles California and I’m currently working also, and yeah that’s pretty much it.

JA: What do you feel most grateful for in your life?

AA: What I feel most grateful for in my life is that I have a really healthy family and that everything is going good and we have many good positive things heading our way.

JA: Are there any positive moments or memories from your life that you thing shaped who you are today?

AA: Positive moments in my life that I think shaped who I am today is my job I guess because… they tell me that you don’t really win money like that it’s a struggle… it’s an everyday struggle.

JA: Can you tell me about someone who had a big influence on your life?

AA: Someone who had a big influence on my life I will say.. well I have two its both my parents. 

JA: Will you tell me about some of the most important lessons that..that person taught you or both persons taught you?  

AA: Well important lessons they taught me.. many, they tell me many positive lessons to always be respectful, always be humble, always live life happy, don’t take what anybody says serious and yeah to always be positive that’s what I love about them.

JA: What are you proudest of? Why does it make you proud? 

AA: What I’m proudest of is that I always keep that positivity in me, I always be happy, I don’t let anybody let me down and that’s what I’m proud of.

JA: So how has your life have been different than you have imagined?

AA: Well its different because when i was younger i would thing that by like my twenties I would be like having a good job already but I’m currently.. well I do have a good job but honestly its not what I thought you know i wish i would have done a little bit better but you know life is still going I still have a good life head of us and we’ll see.

JA: Umm who… have you ever committed an act of kindness?

  AA: Yeah I remember the time i went on a trip to TJ, Tijuana, and honestly i saw like some people outside asking for money and honestly I helped a lot of people I really did. 

JA: Well what made you umm help those people like what made you think to help those people?

AA: Honestly its my my raza (race), its my people you know i gotta help if I had a little bit something i could give might as well.

JA: So what are some of the most what are the most important lessons you’ve learned in life?How did you learn them?

AA: Some of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life were that.. we always have to be.. get ahead of my game you know you always gotta be.. a good person, and work your way out of here. 

JA: Can you describe one of your happiest memories? 

AA: Honesty I have a lot, and every one of those is of me spending the time with my family being happy having a great time.

JA: How about, can you tell me one of your most difficult memories?

AA: Well one of my most difficult memories was, was when I used to be a little bad kid, man I used to want to go rob and honestly that day I learned my lesson. They followed me and they shot at the car i was driving and that was a real bad memory.

JA: How about do you have a favorite memory of me? 

AA: A lot.

JA: Hehe.

AA: You know every time we be playing that PS4 killing them zombies. 

JA: Hell yeah!

AA: And well yeah spending time together you know those are the best moments.

JA: Alright, Can you remember a time in your life when you felt alone?

AA: Alone, honestly no I have a really great family and they always support me on everything. 

JA: Do you really have any regrets? 

AA: Regrets, no but I would say honestly i think not graduating high school because i currently would be in college and.. doing better things. 

JA: If you were to die suddenly this evening, what would you most regret not told someone why haven’t you told them yet?

AA: Ha if I were to die suddenly man something I would say to someone I think honestly I don’t know huh.

JA: If.. what does your future hold?

AA: Ohh my future.. what my future holds its a better me, and a better house, a healthier me, well better goals and well yeah.

JA: If this was to be our very last conversation, is there anything you would want to say to me?

AA: If it was our last conversation something I would like to say to you would be to always keep your head high never let no one let you. 

AA: Down, and yeah be you, be happy, be positive, live life to the fullest, and yeah thats pretty much it, and love yourself.

JA: Is there something about me that you’ve always wanted to know but have never asked? 

AA: Naa I think I know pretty much everything about you [both laugh].

JA: So can you tell me a story about any lessons you learned from your parents or our parents?

AA: One story that well yeah a story about a lesson that my parents taught me was.. Honestly lets skip that one [both laugh] 

JA: Ha alright, whats the most hurtful to you about what people cross the political [inaudible] you know lets just skip this one.

JA: Alright then how about his one do you feel misunderstood about people who have different believes in you? How so? 

AA: Yeah I feel, I think I’m misunderstood you know when people see me they see that its like young like bad boy and stuff but honestly nahh you know I have goals I have dreams you know I want to live a good life just like any other person man.

JA: Alright umm why did agree to do this interview today?

AA: Well of course you my brother gotta do you know.

JA: Yeah.

AA: And you know its a good talk too honestly a good talk [both laugh] been a while since we had one. 

JA: I know.

JA: Like you said that like to do this interview how about can you tell me a nickname that you had if so can you tell me a story of how you got it?

AA: A nickname I got one well one day my cousins were chilling and we used to say like I would play the trompeta [trumpet] the instrument so from then they started calling me Big Toby you know EL TOBY.

JA: Apart from that what was one of the worst things you ever did as a kid?

AA: Ha one of the worst things I ever did as a kid was that in elementary well yeah in fifth grade me and my friends went inside a class room and honestly we wrote pretty bad things in the board, some of the students came out with pencils and actually one of the  one of the students came up with a laptop and the next day we got caught and we learned our lesson and yeah. 

JA: Can you tell me about what you do for a living or did?  

AA: Well right now I’m currently working, I’m working at a warehouse were we ship out like girl clothes and stuff like that.

JA: So from that warehouse do you actually like your job or?

AA: Honestly no but you know I gotta make my money and live you know cuz everything is really expensive now in days.

JA: So like you say you want to be uhh. 

AA: A zoologist or a welder.

JA: Yeah umm do you think its still possible you would accomplish this?

AA: I think so i think if I put my head and mind into it its possible.

JA: Umm, well this is it umm thank you for sitting down and having this interview with me I really appreciate it umm i hope you have a really good day. 

AA: Well thank you, thank you for having me and hopefully I was a good help and hopefully you get a good grade on this every teacher [both laugh] alright then bro. 

JA: Bye.