Getting to know Mason Callejas

Mason Callejas is marking one year as multimedia reporter for InMaricopa.

 

Hometown: Lewisville, Texas

Resides in: Phoenix (Ahwatukee)

Maricopan since: At heart, since September 2016.

Occupation: Journalist

Family: Mother, father, sister, niece (non- immediate)

Cars: 2008 Honda CR-V (light blueish silver)

Hobbies: Photography, anything outdoors, eating, drinking and enjoying life

Pet peeve: The willfully ignorant… I’d rather people try and then fail to understand, than to ignore it because it’s difficult.

Dream vacation: Backpacking from Barrow Alaska to Ushuaia Argentina

Like most about Maricopa: The community’s participation in local government, and its embrace of diversity.

Like least about Maricopa: The occasional stench from the dairies and Hickman’s. And the occasional stench of doltish social-media trolls.

 

Favorite …

Charity: St. Jude, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and ASPCA

Book: “Open Veins of Latin America” by Eduardo Galleno (recent), “Hell’s Angels” by Hunter S. Thompson (why I’m a journalist)

Movie: I’m Not There

Actor: Daniel Day Lewis (Actor), Cate Blanchett (Actress)

Song: The entire album In Rainbows by Radiohead

Musician: Tom Waits

Team: Dallas Cowboys

Athlete: Shoaib Akhtar (Pakistani cricket player & author)

Food: Burgers, sandwiches, chicken-fried steak and BBQ brisket

Drink: Bourbon

Meal: Milanesa (Mexican-style chicken-fried steak)

Restaurant: Whataburger, Potbelly’s, and the Salt Lick (back in Texas)

Getaway: Little Corn Island, Nicaragua

Website: Mascallejas.com

Quote: “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” Theodore Parker

Words to live by: Give what you can, take only what you need and practice the campsite-rule by leaving this place better than how you found it.

Joke: I’m great at multitasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at once.

Anything else we should know? I believe everyone should slow down and be more observant. Learn to vet your “news sources.” As a journalist, it pains me to see so many people pretending to be members of the fourth estate and promoting false information just to rattle the cage. This applies to the liberals, the conservatives, the anarchists and the authoritarians. Invest time to learn things, have empathy, play devil’s advocate every once in a while. Allow your ideas to be challenged. Dig deep. Ask questions. And above all else… love more, fear less and just be good to each other.