From where I stand “La Cordillera Central” and the Empire State stand side by side.  I am the seed with the hope of greatness that struggle to be in when every one saw me out.  
My name is atypical, is not Maria nor Juana, but Catherine.  My last name is not Castillo, but Costello, but not so clear as to why is not.  My birth place is not Puerto Rico, but New York. But mi lengua is Spanish. My heritage is not one of hamburgers and pizza, but one of rice and beans and cocoro.  
 From where I stand the history of a country influenced my decision to love and hate my birthplace and to long for a place that I fit but don’t fit me.  I guess that longing comes from the doubts everyone had about me and where I will go in this long path call life. From the hills of the small town I grew up to the asphalt city that saw my temporary downfall. 
  Yes, the temporary fall that once held me back makes me want more.  From where I stand; I was born 16 years ago.  A layer of fear came off, some hate slide down my back and a ton of habits became obvious, the drugs and the alcohol that came to a halt, just waiting to have access to my life again.  How could I be so fearful, hateful obviously torn away by the habits that consume my everyday life? 
 In order to answer this question I had to sit back and look at the long road ahead of me.  I went to A A and N A meetings, one each day for 30 days, maybe 2 or 3.  I came early, stay late, shared and made coffee.  That was a lot of coffee, that was a lot of meetings, it was a lot of work for someone who never work more than a week on a job.  And for those meetings and all the down falls in between, I rose above the stereotype that follow me.  
 It was ups and downs, lefts and rights. Never a dull moment, 9/11 came and Islam became a household name. I exchanged my shorts for a long dress and my hats for a scarf and then I became part of the change.  I had no idea how this was going to work out, but it was no stopping me, from growing, achieving, reacting and loving something unknown, something so big it could not be explain with one word.  I grew older, a bit wiser and found love again.  I learned I can do everything I put my mind into and is no reason to allow any one to make me feel less than and never, never, ever feel that age is a hinderance to step to greatness.
 From where I stand, I stand, I stand  on the mountain, under the blue sky and on the concrete jungle that have see me grow. From the music of my jibaro, the salsa and the plena and the sun bathing my skin, and playing dutch rope in Jackson Heights I stand stronger. I am Catherine Costello, Boricua pa’ tu lo sepas.