Carlos Obrey-Espinoza

All right, Alumni of the Class o' 1987, here is my bio from the last 20 years. Please be informed that portions of this biography has been edited for content and might contain some content not suitable for all audiences:

Ah, 'twas late May 1987. As I sat amidst the rows and rows of my classmates decked out in their graduation robes of Green and Gold, I could not help thinking, "damn, it's hot out here!" I suppose it was at that instant that I realized I would need to think about my future, and what I wanted to be when I grew up. College was still months away, but I had taken my first step towards realizing my life-long goal of getting the heck outta Dodge....or Los Alamos, as the case was then. High school was over, and I had escaped with only a few minor discrepancies attached to my permanent file [by the way, please ask Merle Rawlings to forward me that file at his earliest convenience].

More specifically, though, I was now free to break away from the oppressive atmosphere that was inherent in the high school culture. Too many stereotypes; too many damn pigeon-holes (yes, kids, this is not going to be all "flowers and sweets"). I was determined to shed the persona that had arbitrarily assigned to me during my tenure at the Home of the Hilltoppers, but it would not be an easy task. I had been rather enigmatic while in high school: neither popular, nor unpopular. I seemed to be able to drift between the groups (i.e., the Jock, the Geeks, the Band F*gs, the Olions, the Stomps, the Buds, etc.) without causing too much of a fracas, although I still carried many a label. I mean, how could I have escaped that, being one of the first male cheerleaders in school history? But, I digress....

I entered New Mexico State University in the fall of 1987 not knowing what my major would be, but determined to reinvent myself. I noticed right away that several of my classmates from Los Alamos had chosen to migrate to Las Cruces, but many of them remained reluctant to accept me into their circles. Some habits are just hard to break, I suppose. For my part, I bid them adieu, and branched out into all that college life had to offer.....which at State broke down to girls and beer. But, hey, when in Rome....

After four years of debauchery, lechery and carousing, I emerged from my undergraduate studies with dual degrees in English and Psychology, a near-perfect GPA, and absolutely no friggin' clue as to what to do next! I mean, clearly, I had no idea what was meant for me after getting my degree. So, I chose to continue my life of beer drinking and girl chasing. Why not? It was fun, relatively inexpensive, and it gave me more time to figure stuff out. Then, on the night of my 25th birthday, one of my friends hit me with his car (in fairness to him, he only did it because I was drunk and he was trying to keep me from wandering the streets of Las Cruces....men are dumb). It hit me that I had squandered four years of my life and still did not have any plan.

Then I met Jennifer Obrey. She was everything that I had been looking for in a life partner: smart, beautiful, witty, easy (just through that last one in to see if you are still reading). Jen woke me up from my stupor, and showed me that life could be so much more. Shortly thereafter, we moved to Albuquerque, got married, and bought cats. Life was good. Always the pragmatic one, Jen knew that we needed to keep moving forward in life, so she enrolled in law school while I continued my less-than-glamorous career of selling homeopathic pharmaceuticals. Jen convinced me that I was too ambitious to work phone sales all my life and challenged me to get a career. Seeing how much free time she was enjoying, I decided to follow her into law school where I found my true calling. There is not a day that goes by that I regret ever choosing to become an attorney. I love it, plain and simple.

Along the way, Jen and I welcomed two boys into our lives. Liam came to us on a snowy night in November 2001 after 26 hours of excruciating labor. Jonah joined us in May 2003 as our "bonus" child (didn't know that the woman stays rather fertile for several months after the first child is born....know that now!). I guess they are normal. They argue, play, sing, dance, get dirty, make messes, watch cartoons, and all sorts of other activities. Like their dad, they are not the best and the brightest, but they are not the dregs, either. They are healthy and happy, and that's what matters most to me.

So, that's it. It has been one helluva ride, hasn't it? I look forward to seeing many of you next summer. In the meantime, feel free to write to me...or don't. I wish each and everyone of you health, happiness, and peace in this time of uncertainty. May you have the personal courage to look beyond what you think you know and into something totally unknown and unfamiliar. That's where you will find me. By the way, if you live in Rio Rancho, look me up and I will buy you a beer.

Carlos