By Abe Villarreal

My hometown friend Tony passed away. I didn’t know it until I read it in the paper this week. For some reason, this one hurts more than usual. Tony and I had a connection that you only get from people who come from your same hometown.

We didn’t grow up together, and he’s 21 years my senior. A few years ago, I met him when I started volunteering each Saturday at the Silver City Gospel Mission. The first time I saw him, he was having some incredible back pains and walked with a large stick.

Soon enough, though, I experienced that Tony smile. Isn’t it funny how you feel an unexplainable connection with someone from your hometown? We’re from different generations, but, in some ways, we lived the same lives.
We know the same corner “changarrito” where you could buy snacks and the daily paper. We know the 8th Street Park where you could watch a little league game or enjoy the annual fiestas.

Both of us know about the same hometown characters you see pushing shopping carts. The kind of guys you say hi to because they are always hanging around grocery store parking lots. Every hometown has them.

Both of us know about the fun times you can have “across the line” on the Mexican side – the great food, the dusty roads, and the feeling that you could get away with anything.

Each Saturday at the Gospel Mission, I have the blessing of whipping up a meal, many times a traditional Mexican dish. Tony always walked in with that familiar sway, heads and shoulders above most in the room. He greeted me in Spanish and almost always asked if I had been to Douglas recently.

When I told him that I was headed down to the border, he would ask if I could bring him back some tortillas and queso from Agua Prieta, Mexico. A few times I did, and the times I didn’t, I always felt guilty on the next Saturday back in town.

Tony had an awesome smile and a great sense of humor. He reminded me that even in the toughest times of our lives, there was something to appreciate. I once asked him if he wanted to join me on my next weekend visit to Douglas, and he told him that he would have to wait a couple of years until he was allowed back.

We both laughed, and I remember thinking to myself that when those two years passed by, I would pull up to the Mission and ask him to hop in my car. It would be fun to visit our hometown and share memories from what it was like growing up during different times. And we could complain about how things just aren’t the same as they were when we were kids. Tony was a live by the moment type of guy.

And now, less than two years from our weekend getaway, Tony has gone on to a different journey, not to his hometown, but to his eternal home.

The next time I visit Douglas, I’m going to make a special trip across the line, pick up a dozen tortillas and a fresh package of queso. I won’t be able to give it to him, but I’ll use it to make a delicious Mexican dish at the Mission. One that we can all enjoy in his honor.
Rest in Peace Tony. My hometown buddy.

Abe Villarreal writes about life and culture in southern New Mexico. He can be reached at abevillarreal@hotmail.com.

Content on the Beat

WARNING: All articles and photos with a byline or photo credit are copyrighted to the author or photographer. You may not use any information found within the articles without asking permission AND giving attribution to the source. Photos can be requested and may incur a nominal fee for use personally or commercially.

Disclaimer: If you find errors in articles not written by the Beat team but sent to us from other content providers, please contact the writer, not the Beat. For example, obituaries are always provided by the funeral home or a family member. We can fix errors, but please give details on where the error is so we can find it. News releases from government and non-profit entities are posted generally without change, except for legal notices, which incur a small charge.

NOTE: If an article does not have a byline, it was written by someone not affiliated with the Beat and then sent to the Beat for posting.

Images: We have received complaints about large images blocking parts of other articles. If you encounter this problem, click on the title of the article you want to read and it will take you to that article's page, which shows only that article without any intruders. 

New Columnists: The Beat continues to bring you new columnists. And check out the old faithfuls who continue to provide content.

Newsletter: If you opt in to the Join GCB Three Times Weekly Updates option above this to the right, you will be subscribed to email notifications with links to recently posted articles.

Submitting to the Beat

Those new to providing news releases to the Beat are asked to please check out submission guidelines at https://www.grantcountybeat.com/about/submissions. They are for your information to make life easier on the readers, as well as for the editor.

Advertising: Don't forget to tell advertisers that you saw their ads on the Beat.

Classifieds: We have changed Classifieds to a simpler option. Check periodically to see if any new ones have popped up. Send your information to editor@grantcountybeat.com and we will post it as soon as we can. Instructions and prices are on the page.

Editor's Notes

It has come to this editor's attention that people are sending information to the Grant County Beat Facebook page. Please be aware that the editor does not regularly monitor the page. If you have items you want to send to the editor, please send them to editor@grantcountybeat.com. Thanks!

Here for YOU: Consider the Beat your DAILY newspaper for up-to-date information about Grant County. It's at your fingertips! One Click to Local News. Thanks for your support for and your readership of Grant County's online news source—www.grantcountybeat.com

Feel free to notify editor@grantcountybeat.com if you notice any technical problems on the site. Your convenience is my desire for the Beat.  The Beat totally appreciates its readers and subscribers!  

Compliance: Because you are an esteemed member of The Grant County Beat readership, be assured that we at the Beat continue to do everything we can to be in full compliance with GDPR and pertinent US law, so that the information you have chosen to give to us cannot be compromised.