Alvin Rivera
Bio
Stories (33/0)
My home town
MY HOME TOWN I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, which they called "The best location in the nation" or "The mistake on the lake," depending on your state of mind. The city once had many breweries, the Beltz, Diebolt Brewery, Excelsior, Forest City, Gund, Leisy, Pabst, Pilsener, Schlitz, Standard, and Stroh’s Breweries. Cleveland had steel mills. It had Republic Steel and Jones and Laughlin and others. The Stockyards once covered over sixty acres, with millions of animals being processed. The Chevrolet and Ford plants employed many people. The city had many European nationalities, Irish, German Hungarian Italian, and Polish families. Cleveland was a great city to live and work in, attracting people from West Virginia, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania.
By Alvin Rivera 7 months ago in Families
THE STRUGGLES OF THE OLD HOMELESS MAN
The sun was coming up on a hot July day when the homeless older man, Pete, was waking up with the urge to urinate. Living on the street, he had no restroom to relieve himself. So, as usual, he went behind a dumpster and relieved himself. Pete packed the dirty blanket he was sleeping on and started walking in search of something to eat. He would stop at a gas station restroom to wash his face, rinse his mouth, and continue searching for food. Another horrible day is beginning in Pete's life. Finding a job would be impossible, being homeless, wearing dirty clothes, smelling like urine, and having no home address. No one would ever hire him, and then there are trust issues.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Humans
AN ALIEN INVASION
I was in the eighth grade, but the memories are vivid. I remember watching The Rifleman on television that night before going to bed while eating a bowl of spaghetti on an old musty couch. Feeling tired and with a full stomach, I was ready for a good sleep and lay down on my bed's soft, warm mattress. I quickly fell asleep.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Fiction
THE MIRROR THAT TELLS THE FUTURE
I like going to thrift stores, swap meets, and yard sales to look for vintage items to decorate my home. I have purchased old books and antique pictures with wooden carved frames. Beautiful antique wooden furniture is also a nice find to take home. My home is a look back in time. Nothing modern at all is in it. I always go on to yard sales and swap meets on the weekends and thrift stores during the week. I am always trying to find treasures for my home.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Humans
No More Sunsets
Summer has arrived, and my vacation to Cleveland, Ohio, and Niagara Falls, Canada, will begin. I will stay at my brother Randy’s' house in Cleveland. I always enjoy going to the old neighborhood I grew up in or what's left of it. Most of it is gone due to the construction of the I-90 freeway. Some run-down buildings remain, with some empty lots where buildings once stood and some modern buildings that don't seem to fit in. I feel so sad about what I see in that once wonderful neighborhood. I had great childhood friends that I had so much fun with. The flight from California to Cleveland will stop in Dallas, Texas, and will last around six hours. My brother Randy will pick us up at the airport and then a ten-minute drive to his house.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Humans
Harry Wilson from Las Vegas
Sometimes people will believe anything if you tell them in the right way. Playing pranks on coworkers is something that we enjoyed doing. A prank we pulled off was so good that Brad and I remember it to this day, twenty years later. Rudy was a great coworker who loved having fun and going to Las Vegas. This prank occurred in the mid-1990s before the mega casinos were built on the strip. Rudy's favorite casinos at that time were Caesars Palace, Flamingo, Bally’s, Hacienda, and the Tropicana. Brad and I knew he loved getting things for free.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Humans
A Near Death Appearance
I remember an event my mom and dad discussed when my brother and sisters were older or hearing it discussed between my parents and other family members. It occurred when I was six, and my brother Randy was four. It all started when my mom needed to have a large goiter removed by surgery on the throat area of her neck. We didn't realize how serious it was for my mother as small children. We always thought my mom and dad would be there forever, and we were all worried about her and the outcome of the surgery.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Families
A Physical Exam Prank
I was working at a small manufacturing company that had several different departments. So many good workers at the plant allowed the company to meet its goals. With everyone working so hard, we all needed to have fun occasionally. One of my favorite pranks used on new employees most of the time was the incomplete job physical phone exam. This mock exam was an exam that we did using the company's internal phone system. Once, a new employee passed his physical and worked for a few months as an employee of the company. We would choose him as our victim of the physical phone exam.
By Alvin Rivera 8 months ago in Humans
AN ASTRAL PROJECTION ADVENTURE
1968 Lorain, Ohio. A fifteen-year-old boy is ready for a good night's sleep after a long day of school and friends. He quickly falls asleep in his warm bed. In his sleep, he feels his legs being lifted towards the ceiling. Panic sets in; he grips the mattress hard to keep from floating away. He struggles to hold on. Suddenly from his strong resistance to not let go, it stops. He feels his body slam into the mattress. It knocked the wind out of him, and he gasped for breath.
By Alvin Rivera 2 years ago in Humans
SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED ONE CHANCE
Tim was a young man with no priorities, just surviving any way he could. He was sometimes unemployed but would take any job he could find to pay his bills. Tim worked as a punch press operator and in a machine shop for a short time. Nothing seemed to stick as a permanent job for him. Tim landed a job at a wire products company called Premier manufacturing, which made fan and air-conditioning covers out of wire. Tim worked as a trimmer of the fan cover ribs. On the cleaning and plating line for the fan covers. And on the plastic coating application line for the air-conditioner covers. Tim lasted five years there, but it was just a job, no chance for growth or advancement.
By Alvin Rivera 2 years ago in Humans
THE BIRTHDAY TRAMPOLINE
Grandpa Al wanted to surprise Lil Kimberly for her birthday, which was in a couple of weeks. Grandpa Al thought, what shall I get her? Should I get her a bicycle? But she already has one. Should I get her a tablet? But Lil Kimberly already has one. Should I get her a scooter? But she already has one too. What shall I do, thought Grandpa Al? This was on Grandpa Al’s mind so much he could not sleep at night.
By Alvin Rivera 2 years ago in Families
SOMETIMES YOU JUST NEED A CHANCE
Tim was a young man with no priorities, just surviving any way he could. He was sometimes unemployed but would take any job he could find to pay his bills. Tim worked as a punch press operator and in a machine shop for a short period of time. Nothing seemed to stick as a permanent job for him. One day Tim landed a job at a wire products company called Premier Manufacturing, which made fan and air-conditioning covers out of wire. Tim worked several job positions there, such as a trimmer of the fan cover ribs, on the cleaning and plating line, and on the plastic coating application line for the air-conditioner covers. Tim lasted five years there, but it was just a job, no chance for growth or advancement.
By Alvin Rivera 2 years ago in Humans