Stephanie Flores

Stephanie Flores, big Los Angeles Dodgers fan, at a recent game.

Stephanie Flores, a kind and hard working Mother, Sister, Daughter, and human shares her immense love for her child. As many other mothers would, Stephanie shares her need to become a better person for her son, Mateo, with a twist. Stephanie shares stories about her childhood and her hate for school. She continues to share how no matter the situation she faces, her family’s love and support will always show. Even though she is extremely grateful for her parents, she shares her hopes and dreams in reaching for bigger goals, goals her parents never reached for.

 Throughout the article Stephanie talks about her unexpected pregnancy and how even though she loves her child, it was at the wrong time. She shares wise wisdom for younger generations today, and suggests she should’ve taken it when she had the chance. Stephanie’s kindness and selflessness had led her to take an obstacle and make it something beautiful.

Transcript:

Lourdes Gomez:  Hello everyone my name is Lourdes Gomez and an editor on the Boxer Bulletin. Today I am here with my cousin Stephanie, Stephanie how are you? 

Stephanie Flores: I’m good thank you for asking, yourself?

LG: I am good thank you so much for asking. Okay, are you ready to get this interview started?

SF: Yes I am.

LG: Okay, the first question is what is your favorite food and why?
SF: My favorite?

LG: Food

SF: Food? I don’t know but I’ve always liked um… pizza and chicken alfredo. It’s just um I don’t know. I’ve always liked chicken alfredo so.

LG: from where do you like it? 

SF: I want to say from Olive Garden, that’s the place that I ate it first. We always go back for that. 

LG: If you could visit one place in the world where would it be? 

SF: Paris

LG: Paris? The Eiffel Tower? 

SF: Yes, just cause it looks really nice and romantic. 

LG: oh wow, romantic (laughs)

SF:(laughs)

LG: Okay um, Describe yourself in one word.

SF: Really shy.

LG: really shy? 

SF: I felt like I’m really, I’m a really shy person. I don’t know…

LG: In certain situations or?

SF: In general. Like um I wish I was more talkative, I wish if i was able to see someone, keep a conversation going on which, that’s something that I can’t do at all.

LG: I think it’s something we all lack but..

SF: on that? 

LG: yeah

SF: but then there’s people that, they can keep a conversation going on no matter what 

LG: yeah

SF: I wish I was like that. 

LG: Okay, we’re going to get a little more personal now. Describe your family in one word. 

SF: Lovely

LG: Lovely?

SF: Everyone (Laughs)

LG: (laughs) Why is that? 

SF: I don’t know because despite like anything, arguments and everything like I feel like they’re always there for you no matter what. 

LG: yea that is true. Okay what was your childhood like?

SF: Omg… that is crazy. It was good. I do umm…how can I explain it? My parents would always take, from what I remember we would always skip school to go to disneyland, all the time but maybe until we were, I was like 10.  And then after that I think umm it kinda, it wasn’t bad it kinda went down cause I remember how we used to go sell and work and go to the park and just do all this. So sometimes I wish…like not necessarily, not do that but how do I explain it like sometimes I think how would it been if I didn’t have to do that. Cause then I ask myself, like Mateo for example [her son] like right now you know, like he wants to do it but I wanna say I don’t want to because he doesn’t really need it. Yet, again I feel like we were doing that, we were doing that because we needed it. 

LG: yeah

SF: I don’t know if that makes sense. 

LG: So you did it out of necessity right? 

SF: Kinda yeah. 

LG: Do you think it shaped who you are today? Like you know having to go sell and stuff?

SF: ummm, actually no but I do wish I would have saved all that money…(laughs)

LG: (laughs) we all do. Okay. Who is someone you admire? 

SF: Someone I… OMG ummm Family wise or anyone? 

LG: Anyone

SF: Anyone in general?

LG: Family, Friends. 

SF: ummm, damn I don’t know. I’ve never thought about that. 

LG: Like someone you just look up to as a person. 

SF: As a person, geez I don’t know, I honestly do not know. I don’t have a, I wouldn’t have an answer for that. The reason is because, no who like…

LG: like it could be your mom, your dad, Mateo. 

SF: Mmmm well Mateo, cause I said I wanted to live for him. 

LG: yeah

SF: well my dad, mmmm I don’t know how to explain it to you. Cause, I don’t know it might sound like ungrateful, but sometimes it’s like, ugh how can I explain it. Like you see other people for example like, maybe in this case, like I’m saying i’m sounding a little ungrateful but like other people like you know they have their own house and stuff like that. 

LG: Yeah.

SF: So I don’t think my parents were really reaching for that, I don’t know if I make sense. 

LG: yeah yeah I get you. 

SF: Like they’re so comfortable with…

LG: They never reached for anything more. 

SF: Kinda, right?

LG: Yeah. 

SF: So I don’t want to do that. 

LG: Yeah. 

SF: I don’t know if I make sense. 

LG: yea yea I get you. You want to reach for more. 

SF: Yeah. 

LG: You want to be better than what you… 

SF:  yeah, not better than them because I mean..

LG: yeah

SF: because appreciate everything

LG: yeah yeah of course

SF: but…

LG: just reach for bigger goals. 

SF: yes. 

LG: I get you. Okay, what has been the biggest thing you’ve had to overcome?

SF: The hardest thing, umm, the hardest thing, What’s the hardest thing? Oh my god. Maybe, becoming a mom. I never, because I always told myself I never wanted kids. I’ve always, and then I ended up pregnant. And it’s becoming a little harder because as he’s growing up like he’s, and then in this new generation that we’re going through and everything that’s happening.

LG: yeah

SF: Like, I don’t know. I…Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to, I love him don’t get me wrong but like…

LG: Not at that certain time. 

SF: Yeah, like I wouldn’t want to have any more kids at all so. 

LG: yeah

SF: That’s one of my hardest, parenting. 

LG: Parenting, yeah well parenting is hard in general.

SF: Yeah, it really is. 

LG: Okay, who or what is your biggest motivation? It’s like the other question…

SF: Mateo [her son]

LG: Mateo?

SF: He is yea, cause everything I’m doing is for him. Um, literally I go to work because I need to I mean I need to provide for him. Um, I want to be a better person for him. But sometimes it’s hard. I don’t like school like you may know.

LG: (laughs)

SF: I hate school, I feel like um I’m not um I feel like if i go to school I don’t specifically like learn anything for some reason and it’s always been like that, even at work when I need to learn new stuff. Um, but so I wouldn’t go to school. That’s one thing, he’s my motivation but I dislike it because nowadays kids will be like well if  I want him to go to school, he can always be like well you didn’t go to school, why am I gonna go to school?

LG: yeah

SF: But he is my biggest motivation. 

LG: Okay what’s something you would tell your younger self?

SF: hmm, to go to school.

LG: (laughs) to go to school?

SF: yeah to um, yeah to go to school and to don’t have kids. I’m just kidding. 

LG:(laughs)

SF: That everything is gonna be okay. I wanna say because I always, it’s hard becoming an adult. Um, I think that, that everything is gonna be okay, that everything will be okay no matter what. 

LG: Everything works out. 

SF: Yes.

LG: Okay, last question. This is gonna get a little bit deep because I know. Okay, if you could have dinner with somebody dead or alive who would it be?

SF: My grandma. My grandma, I think um, I think she’s the only person. I um, I mean, sometimes as time went by it might seem like, like we, I want to say we because it seems like we forgot about her but deep down we she’s…

LG: yeah,

SF: I’m always thinking about her. Um, so it’ll be her and I always wish like I, Evelyn [her younger sister] dreams about her a lot. My sister, but then I wish I can dream with her but I never have. It’s only like one or two times ever since she passed. But it’ll be her. 

LG: yea, hmm, yea I think that it would be a good choice. I think that as time goes on we heal more. 

SF:Mmmm

LG: And it’s not like forgetting about her, it’s just like she’s now in our hearts and not…

SF: yeah

LG: I feel like it’s not painful anymore, I mean it still is but it’s always gonna hurt.

SF: All the time.

LG: I think that losing somebody always hurts but it’s a little less now. 

SF: Yeah.

LG: Okay, and last question. What piece of advice would you give younger generations now? 

SF: The new generation?

LG: Yeah, like current day generatios or?

SF: Um, Oh my god, to save money. Sometimes money might seem like we all say money comes and goes but in reality money always goes and never comes back. I mean we work hard but even like that, I’ve been through a point where like I have money and then, and then you don’t all of us sudden. And that’s… why money it’s a big thing. So I think that’s one thing, I mean know it’s not a big thing because it’s “ money” in quotations, but in reality if you don’t have money you can’t. 

LG: Do anything?

SF: You can’t do anything, literally. Like, literally. Um, that and then to keep up, to work hard for what you guys want. Like everyone, um I think that’s it.

LG: Okay well that was the whole interview, I thank you for your time I appreciate it.
SF: Thank you for wanting to do this with me.
LG: Yes of course! Um, well that’s everything. Thank you!

SF: Thank you!