Ruben Rodriguez 1945 - 1989

Ruben Rodriguez, was born in 1945 in Cayey, Puerto Rico but raised in NYC and as an adult in 'Da Bronx'.

He was diagnosed with GRID in 1987 and died after a rollercoaster ride of painful treatments, in 1989...one of the first to receive AZT.

He was a son, a brother, a friend to many, a soldier and lived a much too short life.

He was at Stonewall and Sylvia Rivera was one of his friends

Lessons that I learned from him:

Live your life to the fullest...you never know!

Try things you've never tried.

Learn to play an instrument...it's good for the soul.

Dance, dance, dance!

Laugh a lot at a lot of things...don't take life so damn seriously

Never wear black leather pants with a white long sleeved turtle neck in summer or in 'the hood'

Don't fall asleep on the beach...unless someone else is there to tell you to turn over

Don't accept shitty grass...go for the gold or nothing!

Accept kindness and reject meanness

Look into people's eyes to really know who they are

Love passionately

Take in a nice opera or a broadway show once in a while.

And...replay Dancing Queen by ABBA as often as you can!