Joey Coco Diaz's Blog
MY FAMILY
I've been to Bradford to visit her parents before but it was in the Summer, it totally changes in the Winter. Its the Bible belt which means its a dry county, at night there isn't anything to do. There was some burger, breakfast joint. I went in there the first day and I felt like Joe Pesci in "My Cousin Vinny", they had grits on the menu, I nearly shit. I ordered the eggs and bacon to be safe. The potatoes were burnt like I like them, but the bacon looked like they had just killed the animal in the back, I couldn't eat it.
The main purpose of the trip besides seeing her family was watching our niece play hoops. I've known her for a while and keep tabs on her sports careers, she's a great athlete but most important she's smart and pretty and very funny, a quality I love in kids. She's a Freshman on the Varsity team but she got hurt taking a charge in a game last week so she didn't play, but we decided to still go to the homecoming and watch her walk with her flowers and dresses and all the glamour and what not. I couldn't believe it, I didn't even go to my homecoming in all the years I was at school. I played sports and did a thousand school activities growing up but I could never invited my mom, she was too much of an animal.
At my first communion she stole the bell out of the Church so after that I decided never to invite her to another function, how sad? She never went to any baseball, football or basketball games. There I am standing at this poor girls homecoming and these thoughts are coming into my head, it was fucked up. I realized I missed out on a whole part of life that I could never bring back.
After the events we went back to my in laws home and had cookies and milk and stuff, but the highlight was when we played Monopoly. Now between us, the last time I played Monopoly was when I was locked up in 88'. I'm sitting there laughing and there asking me whats funny? If those nice Christian people only knew. First the Homecoming, my first at 47 years old, then Monopoly, I felt kind of fucked up and guilty.
What I forgot to mention was that the whole family was in, my wife's brother, his wife and there baby also the Grandpa on the Mothers side, an aunt and my wife's sister and her daughter, my niece. In the middle of my bad thoughts my father in law yells, FAMILY PICTURE!!! I didn't think much of it since I was watching the UFC and they were cutting into my time. As we were taking the picture I noticed that my father in laws eyes were tearing. He looked at me and he said with pride in his voice, "That his whole family was here"
All of a sudden all my insecurities went away. Who gives a fuck that the last time I played Monopoly, I was in prison or that The Homecoming was my first or that my mom had never come to a game because you know what? I'm finally part of a family, a family I don't judge because they don't Judge me and don't really give a fuck too. The love me because I've earned my stripes as a husband or more importantly as a man. They don't care about money or TV shows or anything like that, just that I respect there daughter and there wishes, that's what it means to have in-law's. I try a little but I get back a lot.
In the 11 years I've been with Terrie I've only been back 3 times. After this last trip I've decided to go back twice a year. Not because she makes me or whatnot but because I really have a family now. Don't get me wrong I've been lucky enough to have had many families while I was growing up but this feels special because it is special and in all my years I never thought I would go all the way to Tennessee to find out.
Have a great week and thank you for reading. Irvine Improv February 2nd @ 8PM Get tickets now but most important .................STAY BLACK!
Glad u enjoyed Tenn Joey! you should move out here! Good food and good people (even if some are ass backwards lol)
family...congratz my brother! peace
I'm happy for you man. It took me a long time to realize that "family" doesn't necessarily mean the people that you're related to. Truth is...you can choose who you want in your life. You can choose who you want to be your family. And it's good shit Joey...because they choose you. Hell...we all did ;)
Stay Cuban.
Best.
Bayonne Chris