Write About Me is the brainchild of Hassan Cora and Alex Perez-Orttiz. It was created because we believe there is a need for a special website where people can acknowledge those people who have been instrumental in their lives. Friends, family, teachers, mentors or anyone who has made a deep impact or impression in their lives and made them the people they are today. This website is a place where you can tell the story of everyday people. Who go out of their way each and every day to make the lives of someone else better; the “unsung heroes”.

Often times in life, we never get the opportunity to express how deeply certain people have impacted our lives until it's too late. This website will provide the opportunity to do just that, and to immortalize people who deserve to be forever remembered.

Mahatma Gandhi once said we must “be the change you want to see in the world.” We firmly believe that if we provide a forum for people to either find the motivation to change in the stories of others, or to be the inspiration for others to change, then we will have fulfilled this challenge. Most of us have been taught that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”. And “Write About Me” is a place for us to give thanks to those people who give of themselves with no expectations other than to “be the change” each and every day.

Ultimately we hope to create a venue for those who have been fortuitous enough to have such people in their lives, to say two little words which when said together mean the world - THANK YOU.

THE CREATORS

Hassan Cora

I was born March 17, 1977 in Queens New York. My family moved from New York to Fort Lauderdale Florida when I was 9 yrs old. When we got to Florida life changed completely. We went from having a lot of family and friends to hardly having anybody around. And that made things very hard because our family really didn’t have any support, and it was so hard for my mother to find a job. And then when she did find a job my brother and me were left home a lot alone.

That led me to finding something to fill up my time. I found a lot of the wrong people but I didn’t realize it then. By the time I was13 I was already in a gang, and by the time I was 16 I was selling drugs I'd already been in and out of juvenile hall and programs so many times I lost count and when I tuned 18 I hit the big time (prison). My first trip to prison and it wouldn’t be my last. Looking back, I don't know how I thought all this stuff was cool, but I did.

The ugliness of things I’ve done caused a chain reaction of hurt and pain to the people that loved me. The more I hurt them, the more I hated myself and soon I found myself pulling away from the people I loved most- my family. Now I don't blame anybody but myself for the things I've done. Sometimes it's hard to change when you're so good at being so bad. But my life was full of disappointments, hurt, and so much pain and having alienated myself from my family just made me sink deeper and deeper into the gang lifestyle.

On my last trip in a Florida prison I was sitting on my bunk all alone tears coming down my eyes wondering how much more I could take. And on that same day I got a letter from my mom, who by this time had moved back to New York. In this letter she said “Papito, come home. I want to take care of you; you've suffered enough”. For some reason as I’m reading this letter there's this voice, and this voice feels peaceful and strong. And I start to feel this feeling that's telling me it's time to go home to my mother. I knew it was time to see my family.

When I was released from prison this last time I listened for once, and came straight to New York. With just the clothes on my back, and not a dollar to my name, and feeling ashamed to face the woman to whom I had caused the most pain- my mom. But when I got here my family welcomed me with open arms.

There's three people in my family who have been my inspiration to wanting to become a better man the first is my mother who's love is unconditional and who has never close her door and her heart to me. The second one is my cousin Alex who is a great man and has been my rock and fortress. Who loves me with all my flaws? And just wants me to be better. And the third is my cousin Luna who is the greatest person I know. Who has opened her heart and home to me, and believes in me when nobody else would. It's because of her I’m a better man today.

Through my family and the grace of God, I have completely changed my life; for that I am beyond grateful. And it was this gratitude that motivated me to create this site. I wanted the world to know these people stories from my own words. I wanted to thank them in front of the whole world. So for people like myself who have burdens to unload, who wish to say sorry, or thank you, or many of the things we as humans tend to repress and fail to express, this is my way of allowing you to do the same.

I will end by saying to all of you I have hurt or caused pain I am truly, truly, sorry. Words will never be able to express the regret I feel for the many wrongs I have done. And to (make a dedication here. For example: to my mom who was a constant source of strength and inspiration. I am finally ready to be the man you always knew I would one day be).

Sincerely yours,
Hassan Cora

Alexander Perez-Ortiz

This Story begins months ago when my cousin, Hassan Cora, approached me. He had an idea for creating something positive for people to enjoy and feel good about. It was an idea for a different type of social network. A network in which others could write about themselves, but more importantly write about people that have effected them in ways that they feel others need to hear about; stories which are positive and inspirational. As I listened to him describe in further detail his vision for this site, I began asking myself, could this work? Could people really be looking for something like this?

Then he challenged me to think back on my on life, to recall a memory, which effected me in the way he hopes for others to share on the site. My initial reaction was one of shock. I looked at him and said, “What?” “ I don't have any stories like that.” But when the conversation ended, I began to think long and hard. And I remembered one in particular that is near and dear to my heart. I guess my story is about my mother and how she raised me. It’s funny, because I can remember at times how hard it was to understand the way she did things. Still to this day we joke about her methods of madness.

My mother was a strict parent with a loving hand along with a swift follows through if you got out of line. At times I was unable to understand either one. This might be the reason why I have said to myself on more than two occasions of my life. I hate my mother and wish she would die already. I don’t remember how I came to feel that way and why. Can you imagine how emotional this can make you feel even after so many years? Even to this date repeating such words brings uncontrollable tears to my eyes. Maybe that’s what kept my mother all those nights crying? Maybe she knew how I felt? She may have thought that we didn’t hear her on those nights, but I did almost every other night. I can only imagine how hard it was to raise three kids with no father in the picture at critical times of our life.

I could never understand why my father left me. I say (ME) very selfishly because as a child you don’t see the big picture you only see you. Never thinking to myself how does this affects my brother and sister? And even with me knowing how much of struggle my mother was having. I still continue to give my mother problems after problems. I guess that’s what kids do. Maybe this is what she told herself in order to keep from killing me.

Maybe it was just plain old motherly love? Nevertheless I have grown to understand everything about my mother and how she raised me. Most importantly what it took. I may not have agreed with every method she used to raise me, but I understand now. I credit her with all that I am to this day and what I hope to become in the future. I could never imagine what my life would be like without this amazing woman. Who I love and who will always be her thankful son.

I think by creating this kind of social environment/network, we can help people by allowing them to read and write their own stories of family, tradition, times they felt most loved, the challenges they have faced and overcame. Or even if they are going through bad times and reading the stories of others inspires them to change their own lives. Sometimes just being heard, or hearing of someone who is experiencing the things you may be at that time, can be motivation or provide nourishment for the soul.

My ultimate goal is to get these stories to people to show that there are still plenty of good people out there. I no longer question whether or not a site like this can “work”. I know it will work. The same way it worked for me when I eventually accepted my cousin's challenge.

Sincerely yours,
Alex Perez Ortiz