I had family in town and they wanted something low key. I took them to a seafood Mexican restaurant in Chula Vista I like.

I was sitting there waiting for them, and looking around. The table across from me was a straight up cholo guy and chola girl. She had the black lip liner and everything. The guy looked like what many of us would call a ‘thug’.

They just sat there, joked with one another and laughed. The guy had the funniest/goofiest laugh ever- made me happy.

The table behind me was a very traditional Mexican couple. The man had on a cowboy hat and nice shirt. Reminds me of times I spent outside of Tijuana type cities, and got to experience what real Mexican culture can be like. The country. The Vaquero/cowboy. Made me feel nostalgic for Texas.

I don’t know, for some reason it made me proud of our city.