About Carlito

I think about him less and less over the last 15 years, but today I'll stop to remember and make note here of a guy named Carlos Lopez-Sanchez. He was only 38 when he died from complications related to HIV, AIDS. Carlos personified masculinity, was an accomplished horseman and trained Thoroughbred race horses for a living. He was of Spanish heritage but grew-up in central Mexico on a large family ranch. He attended law school in Mexico City before immigrating to the United States around 1980. Carlos was rugged, handsome, a mop of black hair typically covered by a white Stetson hat; He spoke perfect Spanish, a sign of his roots in Spain and so unlike many native Mexicans and had a deep, soft and strong voice, never raising it unless in laughter. He was stubborn, the strong and silent type. He was a gentleman in every sense, a mentor, a friend and never met an animal he didn't love unconditionally. He loved the land and the outdoors and everything about him I wish I could have been. He was also the first and only great love of my life. In his last months I nursed him as best I could, minus insurance and only living off the grace of family and friends. I quit school and work and focused on him, the only thing I really cared about. If he could have hung in there just another year or two, I'm convinced he would have been alive today as 1993, in retrospect was the cusp of AIDS becoming a more manageable yet still deadly disease. A cruel disease. I'm thinking of Carlos today and wanted to share a little about him. He was a fine man, an honest soul and I miss him sorely.

Posted by JD on December 1, 2008 11:24 AM