The day I met Mayor Eric Garcetti

Rafael Hernandez
Chronicle Reporter

It was freshmen year only a few months before my first year of high school ended. I had been taking pictures with my camera for only 9 months and didn’t really have a clue as to what I wanted to do. I would always take the Gold Line and ended up in Sierra Madre the last station. I found out that the Gold Line is getting an extension and will open up in just few weeks. I was very excited and couldn’t wait for that day to come. Riding the Gold Line various times during my freshman year that just the thought of new stations opening made me very happy because it meant I’d get to visit places I’ve never been before.

The day finally came and I got up right on time. Got my camera and headed out. It takes about 40 minutes from Union Station to Sierra Madre. I thought that the train would continue to the new stops but when I got to Sierra Madre they made all the passengers get off and form a line to get onto a train that runs to the new stations. While waiting to get onto a train everybody suddenly started looking towards the back of the line. I turned around out of curiosity and saw the Mayor. He was shaking hands with those waiting in line. Eventually he was shaking hands with the person behind me and I genuinely didn’t know what to say or how to act.

He then came to me and I smiled, shook his hand and had a good three minute conversation with him about what I wanted to pursue after high school. I then eventually got on the train and visited all the new stops.

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